Vega Saga part two: Vanguard
by Richforce
Summary: The Black Vanguard is tighting it's grip. The scouts and knights must unite to fight their most dangerous foes yet.
1. A State of Debate

Richforce: Part two begins now! Hope you enjoy it as much as the first! All characters belong to their respective owners. 

Last time in the Vega Saga, A new enemy, the Blackstar Empire, had come to earth seeking to open the mysterious "Vault of Astra". Led by Prince Vega, unknown to all but himself as both a now elementary school teacher Victor Harp and as Princess Serena's older brother, he sought to use the vault's energies to restore the old Moon Kingdom. However Merlor, Vega's right hand man, sought to open the vault to release an entity known only as Astra back into the Universe after five thousand years of imprisonment. After the scouts gained astral power to fight the Blackstar and recruiting the Sailor Knights, Ursa of the Black Vanguard despicably kidnapped Sarini and brainwashed her and the other future children of the Inner Scouts to fight as the five Wicked Ladies. When the spell cast on them was broken Ursa attacked in force but was soon defeated with the help of the Mini-Scouts. Now two new players have entered the game, Aquila and Scorpio; both members of the Black Vanguard. Now the second act is about to begin...

* * *

Chapter 1: A State of Debate 

"Tell me why we are going to this college for a week?" asked Serena. "We haven't even finished high school yet."

"Lita and I have been selected to represent Angel Wing High in the all metro debate championship." said Amy. "We have to stay on campus for it and we convinced the principal that some other students could benefit from studying with us for the competition."

"You I can understand, but why was Lita selected?" said Raye. "I thought Melvin was your debate partner."

"He got appendicitis, he'll miss the first day and the rules say that the same team has to be present for every debate."

"Still why Lita?" asked Mina.

"It's actually a good reason." said Lita. "We make a good team in this, Amy is really smart and I hate to lose an argument!"

"We can all attest to that!" Serena, Raye and Mina said simultaneously.

They came on the vast grounds of the college and noticed someone they knew. "Hey is that Hotaru?" said Raye.

Sure enough it was Hotaru AKA Sailor Saturn walking with three text books in her arms. Even now after about a month of adjustment it hard to believe that the little girl that aged so quickly from a baby after sacrificing herself had aged rapidly again into a beautiful young woman the same age as the other Outer Scouts. She had just noticed them as well. "Oh, hi guys, what are you doing here?"

"We're here for the Debate competition." said Amy.

"Wow, I'm going to be in the competition too! Guess that I'll have to watch out for you Amy."

Lita had a sweat dropped on her head. "Uh, you do realize that the topic for the whole thing is going to be 'The affects of a flat tax rate on third world nations' don't you?"

"Yes, so?"

"It may be a little too much for you right now." said Amy.

Hotaru looked steamed. "Hey! I may have been a little kid a short while ago but now I think and act like an adult! Unlike some people I know!"

"And what does that supposed to mean!" Mina shot back.

"Frankly if you were as old as you behaved the five of you would still be wearing diapers, drinking from bottles and going 'Goo-Goo, Gaa- Gaa'!"

"Hey! We're as mature as the next guys!" said Serena.

"Well then they must be very mature." said a young man wearing a fancy blazer. "Bradley Upperman the third, at your service."

"Yes, four of them are defiantly Kappa material." said a young woman wearing a lot of jewelry. "Beverly Waterbench; pleased to meet you."

"Brad, Bev, must be my lucky day." said Hotaru sarcastically.

"Now, now you weren't discouraging potential candidates were you?" said Bev.

"Now why would I want to do that?"

"What do mean by Kappa material?" asked Lita.

"You must be high school seniors; well if the four of you are going to come here after you graduate from high school you'll definitely have a place in the sorority of Kappa Beta Sigma."

"You mean the five of us right?" said Serena.

"Sorry, but we only accept those with the potential to be something in the world and to be honest you don't have it."

Serena thought to herself. She'd be begging me to join if she knew that I'm going to be queen of the earth someday!

Hotaru snapped at them. "Brad said the same thing when Anthony asked to join his club for idiots!"

"If you mean the fraternity of Omega Delta Pi then you are mocking my family!" said Brad. "My father was an 'idiot' as was my grandfather and my great-grandfather happened to be a founding 'idiot'."

"Gee, I didn't know that being a jerk was genetic."

"The only reason you're in this school is because your father happens to one of our best professors." said Bev. "But don't worry, they say talent skips a generation, your kids will probably be as sharp as tacks."

"It feels a little unbearable right now so I'm going to class. Goodbye!" Hotaru then stormed off.

"Hotaru wait!" said Serena.

"Come now." said Bev. "I want to discuss the advantages of our sorority." She led the other four away.

* * *

Serena caught up with Hotaru later that day. "I have to get home so..." 

"What's your problem! You attacked us like we were the enemy!"

Hotaru stopped and turned to her. "Sorry it's just that adjusting to this has been hard for me. We've managed to make daddy think that I am this age, but while I feel that I'm this way for a reason I still wasn't ready for it. When you guys, the outer scouts included, treat me like I still am a little girl it seems like no one respects or understands what has happened to me."

"We should respect it but I doubt we can understand without it happening to us."

"Those two showing up made me even more defensive. They should do the world a favor and marry each other so there will only be two more miserable people instead of four!"

"What did they do?"

"I just hate how they pick and choose for those clubs based on 'potential'. Anthony has more potential in his little toe then they have in both their entire bodies!"

Serena raised her little finger. "Sounds like you and Anthony are a hot item! Can you tell me more about him?"

"Anthony Griffin, he's great guy. We have a lot in common, for one thing he's a gymnastics fan and I found out I have talent for it. We also both have the same medical condition."

"Condition?"

"A genetic disorder called Harrison's syndrome, turns out if the lab accident didn't happen my immune system would have collapsed in a couple of years anyway. Anthony also has it, so we're pretty much in the same boat, getting sick a lot and such."

"I don't think you'd do it."

"What?"

"Sacrifice his life, I mean if the situation arose where it seemed that you had to sacrifice his life to save the Earth you wouldn't bring yourself to do it."

"I'm not sure, I know my duty but I feel so strongly for him, but if I have to sacrifice myself again..."

"Don't let that love go; you have to hold on to that hope."

"I'll try."

"I better get going. See you tomorrow!"

* * *

Aquila and Scorpio meet with Merlor in his lab. "We have to get our focus back on finding the vault and keys." said Merlor. 

"But how are we gonna do that without any Nightmare stones?" said Axel.

"I have that covered." said Scorpio. He put his hands together and when he parted them a Nightmare stone appeared. "With my powers I produce unlimited numbers of them."

"So like, who's our victim?" said Prim.

"This young man." said Merlor. The image showed a guy wearing a gold chain around his neck. "Aquila will supervise your efforts."

"Altair and I will make sure that you will achieve results."

Axel pointed at the eagle. "I like his beady eyes." Suddenly Altair closed his beak on Axel's finger. "Hey, he bit me!"

"You provoked him first."

"Show the bird respect." said Merlor. "He's clearly smarter than you."

* * *

The debate competition was fierce. Over the past week competitors from schools all over the Tokyo area met in debate after debate. Amy and Lita did very well as did Hotaru and Anthony. After four days of competition it came down to the two teams in the finals. Rini and her friends decided to wish them luck the day before the final. They were all dressed in the blue sailor uniform of Sparrow Hill elementary school. "Hi, we all came to wish you luck!" said Rini. 

"I know that you will win Amy." said Ariel.

"And you're gonna win with her Lita!" said Daisy.

"Thanks, it means a lot to us." said Lita.

Hotaru came up with a young man with salt and pepper, red and black hair and blue eyes. "Oh hi Hotaru!" said Rini.

"Hey Rini! I like for you to meet a good friend of mine, this is Anthony. Anthony I'd like you to meet Rini."

"A pleasure." said Anthony.

"Nice to meet you too, good luck to you both!"

"Thanks."

"So Hotaru after this is over you want to hang out like we used to?"

"I'm sorry but I have classes and I don't have the time."

"But that never was problem for us before!"

"Can I talk with you alone for a little bit?" She escorted Rini out of earshot. "Listen I'm an adult now and I can't drop everything to do little kid stuff."

"So you think that you're better than me because you're grownup is that it?"

"No, but I'm too mature to do some of the childish things we did."

"I get it; no one here knows about your healing power and is afraid of you because it, so now that you have more friends you think you don't need me anymore!"

Rini seemed to have struck a nerve. "Right now I think you're more annoying than friendly; so yes I rather have adult company than a brat like you right now! You have to face facts, what we had is gone now and it isn't coming back!"

"Fine, some friends of mine came back with me so I don't need you either! You go grow up; I'll be with my real friends!"

"You do that! I'm glad I'm not a kid anymore! I have to go home and study on the debate, something you have to wait till you're older to understand!"

Rini came back to the others. "Hey where is Hotaru?" asked Anthony.

"She went to study!" said Rini. "Come on girls let's have some real fun!"

"I better go talk with Hotaru tonight." said Anthony.

* * *

After they left the girls stopped her. "Rini we're a little worried about you." said Annika. "It's not like you to be like this." 

"It's her fault!"

"Come on, you can tell us." said Gloria.

"When I came here before we were close friends about the same age, it was great it felt like I never had a best friend before and she was the first. Now all of this happened and she seems like a different person. You couldn't know what it feels like, losing a best friend."

"Actually I can." said Ariel. "I miss Madelyn a lot."

"Who?"

"You don't remember her?"

"Not all of my memory has come back yet. You guys are the only ones I can recall."

"So you don't remember Maggie either?" asked Daisy.

"No."

"What about Hope?" asked Annika.

"Or Faith?" said Gloria.

"Neither one rings a bell."

"They're friends of ours." said Ariel. "While I'm glad to have you all as friends, Madelyn would have to be my best friend."

"I feel the same way about Maggie, I miss her too." said Daisy.

"Annika and I are best friends." said Gloria. "But I still worry about Hope and Faith."

"I'm sure they will be alright." said Annika.

"But if Crystal Tokyo was destroyed how can they still be alright?" said Rini.

"It'll come back to you." said Daisy.

"Come on, let's do our homework at Raye's house, Mr. Harp will be glad we worked together." said Ariel.

* * *

That night at Hotaru's house she went over her notes with Anthony in her room. "...so that means a flat tax rate would actually have an adverse impact on third world societies." 

"I think we're ready then." said Anthony.

Just then there was a knock on the door. Dr. Tomoe peeked in "Everything alright?"

"Yes Daddy, we were just studying for the final debate tomorrow that's all."

"Studying IS the only thing going on here right?" he said looking at Anthony.

"Dad, Anthony isn't that type of guy!"

"Okay, you are old enough to make your own decisions. Just make sure they're the right ones." As he left Hotaru heard him say "They grow up so fast."

"You don't know how fast daddy." she whispered.

"What did you just say?" Anthony asked.

"Nothing!"

"I'm sure you said 'you don't know how fast.'"

She was totally unprepared. "Well, I was just..."

"Are you like me?"

"What!"

"I never told anyone but I'm not really as old as I look. About a month ago I was a little boy going to elementary school then one day when I was by myself I felt dizzy and then I passed out. When I woke up I was like this and everyone I knew thought I was always this age, I still don't know how or why it happened."

"The same thing did happen to me! I was a little girl a month ago and now, well you can see."

"Do you have any idea how this happened to us?"

Hotaru wanted to lie about why it happened to her but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. "I can't tell you."

"What do you mean can't!"

"I don't want you to go through anymore hurt than you already have been. I don't have any answers for you and if I tell you why I've changed it will just put you in danger."

"Listen, I'm sorry I pried. I just wanted to know so badly, I wanted there to be some purpose for it. But I know how I feel, I don't want to go back, I might not feel the same way about you if I did. Just meeting you was worth everything I've been through."

Just then something was glowing in one of Hotaru's drawer's. "My locket!"

She opened the drawer and the locket soon produced a ring with a purple stone with the symbol of Saturn on it. The ring flew on Anthony's finger. "What is this!" said Anthony.

"You, You're my prince! I can't believe it, I have a Prince too!"

"Prince, what do you mean?"

Hotaru suddenly had serious look on her face. "There are things I have to tell you and some of them aren't pretty, but you have to know before you go down this path." She told him about the Moon Kingdom, her identity as Sailor Saturn, his role as Saturn Knight and about both of her powers. "So you see you have a choice now, if a situation were to arise where I would have to use my death power again I would have to die and be reborn, so I'm asking you do you still want to fight with me even though this could happen?"

"You told me we share the same power so there is only one answer I can give you. If you have to sacrifice yourself and be reborn as a baby girl, I would sacrifice myself at the same time, so I could be reborn as a baby boy right next to you."

"And I would do the same thing!" the two made a passionate kiss. "You better get back home, we a debate tomorrow."

"Ok, as team no one can beat us!"

* * *

The next day the final debate was held in the college auditorium. On the stage two tables were set up and the two teams took their seats at them, Amy and Lita for the affirmative and Hotaru and Anthony for the negative. The three judge panel announced the topic and went over the procedures of the debate. Amy and Lita did well on their statements, cross examination and rebuttals as did Hotaru and Anthony. When the debate ended the judges made their announcement after some discussion. "The winners are Hotaru Tomoe and Anthony Griffin of Tokyo University." Cheers came from spectators and friends as the judges showed them what mistakes were made. 

Later, they talked outside. "I guess we lost just because we underestimated you." said Amy.

"Well if it's any consolation you two were honorable opponents." said Anthony.

"I'm just glad that after this we're all still friends." said Serena.

At that moment Brad and Bev came up with a young man wearing a gold chain around his neck. "How dare you lose!" said Bev.

"We tried our best!" said Lita.

"Bev here has been showing you four off to the whole campus as the next Kappas; do you how much that hurts her reputation?" said Brad. "See what I mean Harry?"

"If you say so." said Harry in a disinterested voice.

"Well you can all forget about becoming sisters in the Kappa house!" said Bev.

"I thought that it was something important, but now none of us want to join your sorority after we graduate!" said Raye. "Right girls?"

"Right!"

"Those houses actually did some good but you two ruined them with your elitist attitude!" said Hotaru.

"You will always be trash to us Hotaru Tomoe!" said Brad.

"That's my friend you're bad mouthing!" said Rini as she came with the other girls.

"Oh look, she has a friend in the same IQ level." said Brad.

"She's a lot wiser than the two of you ever could be!" said Hotaru.

"Hello, doesn't anybody notice the guy and girl in the treetops!" said Prim. Sure enough the two were sitting in a tree.

"We have a little business with the quiet guy." said Axel.

"Look pal!" said Harry. "I'm just a member of his fraternity I wasn't doing anything!"

"No, but you will!"

"NIGHTMARE GO!"

Harry became a giant lizard that had microphone in its hand. "Rapzilla's in the house and I'm here to say you all going down the old school way!"

Brad and Bev ran off terrified. "I figured they'd run from any problem their checkbooks couldn't solve." said Anthony. "Let's take this guy!"

"Excuse me?" asked Mina.

"Hotaru didn't tell you? I'm the Knight of Saturn so I can fight with you!"

"Then let's make this lizard a belt!" said Serena.

"MERCURY ASTRAL POWER!"

"MERCURY LULLABY POWER!"

"MARS ASTRAL POWER!"

"MARS LULLABY POWER!"

"JUPITER ASTRAL POWER!"

"JUPITER LULLABY POWER!"

"VENUS ASTRAL POWER!"

"VENUS LULLABY POWER!"

"SATURN ASTRAL POWER!"

"SATURN NOBLE POWER!"

"MOON FAIRY POWER!"

"MOON INFINITY POWER!"

Saturn Knight's armor was purple and his weapon was a Kusari-gama (a traditional ninja weapon consisting of a short sickle connected to a weight by a chain). Sailor Moon started to speak "How dare you..."

"We know!" said Prim. "How dare we litter a little kid's playground, blah blah blah."

"Ok, maybe my speech has been getting a little old."

"Then I'll hit you this, no way I can miss!" said Rapzilla.

Rapzilla hit Sailor Moon with a bolt from his microphone; Sailor Moon was knocked to the ground. "You ok?" asked Sailor Mars.

"I'm alright, so let's win this fight!" she covered mouth then spoke again. "Oh that slime, he made me only able to speak in rhyme!"

"And this helps us how?" said Axel.

"It's probably all part of his igneous plan!" said Prim.

"Still I better lend a hand." said Aquila as she came in.

"Who is the nut with the over grown feather duster!" asked Saturn Knight.

"This overgrown feather duster is Altair my beloved companion and I am Aquila, darkness warrior of cruelty and member of the Black Vanguard."

"Don't let your guard down!" said Sailor Jupiter. "She's probably a lot tougher than she looks!"

"From my scans she capable of high speeds but can't take much damage." said Sailor Mercury.

"Not that any of you can hit me." said a perfectly clam Aquila. She turned to Rapzilla. "I'll take most of them why don't you attack the sickly looking ones?"

"I'll take your advice and show I'm not nice!" said Rapzilla.

"You plan won't succeed, my words you must heed!" said Sailor Moon who then smacked herself in the head.

"Alright then why don't you the rest of you take this!" she stretched her arm then quickly moved it.

"AIR SLICE!"

A vacuum in the air cut the scouts in its path.

"JUPITER LIGHTNINGORB BLITZ!"

"MARS WARFIRE INCINERATE!"

Aquila dodged with little effort. "Missed me!"

Sailor Mini-Moon had a plan. "If we surround her then attack we can get her!"

"Give it your best shot!"

"MOON GLOWING STARBURST!"

"MERCURY SNOWFLAKE SHARDS!"

"MARS SCARLET EMBERS!"

"JUPITER ELECTRIC SPARKS!"

"VENUS BEAUTIFUL FLASH!"

Aquila didn't bother moving this time and just blocked the attacks with her hand. "I think some people still need training!" she said in a sing song voice.

"But we can take you!" said Sailor Venus.

"Not if I do this!"

"LIGHTSPEED BATTALION!"

She disappeared then a number Aquilas showed up.

"Are they clones or illusions?" asked Sailor Mars.

"Illusions, caused by moving faster than light, each one represents where she was one second ago."

"Then hitting any of them won't do any good!" said Sailor Jupiter.

"Don't worry she has to stop to attack."

Just then Altair swooped in and hit each of the scouts. Aquila stopped. "Nice tactic, huh? Having Altair attack while my move confused you."

"You coward!" said Sailor Venus.

"Coward? I just had a tactical advantage that was all. I'm going to take destroying you slow; I always enjoy torturing my victims!"

* * *

Meanwhile Rapzilla kept hitting the others with his tongue. "You're butts I'll now kick, with each and every lick!" 

Suddenly an unknown voice shouted an attack.

"SATURN NIGHTSHADE ENVELOP!"

A dark bubble surrounded Rapzilla and caused him minor damage but it was enough to his attention. "What was that attack, who hit me in the back!"

They turned and saw a little girl in Maroon scout uniform with a purple bow. With her black hair and purple eyes she could have been a dead ringer for Hotaru as a child. "I am Sailor Mini-Saturn, how dare you attack my future parents!"

"Her future parents?" asked a confused Saturn Knight.

"Us." said Sailor Saturn. "She means us!"

Rapzilla was less than impressed. "You got some nerve kid; I won't forgive what you did!" He charged toward her.

"Attack him now I implore, then maybe I won't rhyme anymore!" said Sailor Moon.

"SATURN SHADOW STRIKE!"

"SATURN DARK CHAIN!"

Saturn Knight threw the chain while touching it with the sickle end causing it to become pitch black. Rapzilla was severely weakened by the combo.

"Now to make him pay for forcing me to say such awful poetry!" said Sailor Moon after Rapzilla's spell broken.

"MOON MAGNUM STARBEAM!"

"No, no, no! What a way to go!" Harry was freed and the Nightmare stone shattered.

Aquila noticed Rapzilla's defeat. "Prim, Axel, we better get going." She then turned to the scouts. "Consider this a stay of execution, I will return." She Teleported away while giving a very haughty laugh.

* * *

Later, they all gathered in a secluded spot. "Madelyn I'm so glad you're here!" said Ariel. 

"I'm sorry everyone!" said Madelyn. "When we were coming back I somehow got separated from everyone. I wish I could have been with you."

"No, you don't." said Gloria. "Trust me on this."

Rini then went up to Hotaru. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier."

"Me too." said Hotaru.

"I just wanted it to be like old times."

"I shouldn't have acted like that toward you, could you ever forgive me?"

"Yes, but I'll still miss doing the things we used to."

"Maybe not." Hotaru said pointing to Madelyn. "She seems share a lot of my interests at that age, you two should already be good friends at this point."

"Yeah, in that case I'm glad you grew up so you could be her mom!" Rini then went to join the others.

Hotaru looked on the scene. "You know Anthony; I think I can see the why now."

"Me too Hotaru; Me Too." said Anthony.

Serena also watched. "Strange, the darker things seem to get in the present, the brighter they seem to become in the future."

* * *

Richforce: Don't let your guard down yet Sailor Moon, Aquila will be back! Start sending in your reviews people! 


	2. Scouts,Lies and Videotape

Richforce: Here's wishing everyone a happy Valentine's Day with their loved one! Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and the Mini-scouts are based on Angel Raye's Chibi-scouts.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 2: Scouts, Lies and Videotape  
  
A special report on the Sailor Scouts was announced to be on the news; Serena encouraged everyone she knew to watch it. "This is gonna be good!" she said as her family sat down in front of the television.  
  
The report began. "This is Vivian Fenwick for channel 8 action news. For sometime now, the Sailor Scouts have been sited after a two year absence. Fighting crime, defeating monsters and adverting disasters are the things people usually visualize them doing, but what are their real purposes and why don't they revel themselves?"  
  
Serena didn't like where this was going.  
  
"A large number of merchandise was made bearing their names and images and they have yet to claim a piece of the profits and even more suspicious they refuse to step forward to a number of collateral damage lawsuits. What are they hiding from us?"  
  
{I didn't even know there were lawsuits!} thought Serena. She started to sweat a little.  
  
"It is time to show these vigilantes as what they really are, menaces to society!"  
  
"Menaces!" Serena shouted out loud her family looked at her. "Uh, I mean I don't think they'd really be menaces if they saved Sammy's life right?"  
  
Vivian continued. "Now we see some 'Sailor Knights' fighting along with them and, in what I believe to be a very irresponsible act, seem to have recruited children! We have to make them accountable; they have too much power not to be! If they really want to show that they are on the up and up then let them show themselves and tell us who they are and why they can do what they do! Personally this reporter would like to run these Super Zeroes out of town on a rail, but that is just my opinion, still we cannot ignore the danger any longer."  
  
Serena turned off the TV. "Well I'm tired, I'm going to bed, good night!"  
  
"But it's only six-thirty!" said Richard.  
  
Serena didn't hear him after she shut the door to her room. She then activated her communicator. "Did you guys watch the news?"  
  
"Unfortunately yes." said Mina. "They practically called us outlaws!"  
  
"I would like to teach that witch a lesson!" said Lita. "If I could get my hands on her..."  
  
"Easy Lita." said Raye. "She's entitled to her opinion, no matter how boneheaded it is."  
  
"Right now I'm more concerned with about the Outer Scouts." said Amy. "If Hotaru had a knight, then it's likely that the rest of them have knights as well."  
  
"I know they do!" said Serena. "Not only do my dreams to confirm it but Rini has remembered that their daughters were also friends of hers. They couldn't exist if they didn't have mothers and fathers; I remember that much from biology class."  
  
"Then they probably are somewhere in this city as well." said Raye. "Madelyn was wandering around for a few days when she found us, we better find the other kids too!"  
  
Serena closed the line. "I hope we're the ones to find them first." She thought.  
  
~*~  
  
"And we're clear!" said the director.  
  
Vivian as organized her papers her assistant, Gary Daniels, came up to her. "If this about a raise you'll have to show me something that justifies it."  
  
"I don't want a raise; I wanted to know if you gave my recommendation to the producer."  
  
"Gary I'm busy right now, how about we discuss this later?"  
  
"Viv, I've been your assistant for about two years now. I need to know that this job is heading somewhere."  
  
"Alright I tell you what, one of the stories I've been assigned tomorrow is this amateur fashion design expo and I'll probably be reassigned to cover something else so I'll let you do it. I'll show the tape to the chief and if he likes your report than maybe he'll make you a reporter."  
  
"You won't regret this! I know one of the designers there personally; Trista's been a little down lately so this will really cheer her up!" He and Trista had been dating for a while but lately she was pushing him away and he was worried about her.  
  
"Yeah, but until the chief agrees, IF he agrees, your job is still holding the camera and getting me coffee."  
  
"Yes ma'am!" he said before he left.  
  
~*~  
  
At the Blackstar fortress Vega was discussing strategy with his minions. "While I agree with Aquila that there was no point in staying when the Nightmare was defeated, we still must find the vault and keys."  
  
"There is still the problem with the appearance of another knight and child." said Merlor. "A few did manage to escape me; they must still be out there somewhere."  
  
"We will deal with them when and if they show up. Did you find a new Nightmare?"  
  
"Yes." Merlor called an image of Vivian Fenwick. "She should get our enemies to see things our way."  
  
"Take this and go!" said Scorpio as he created a Nightmare stone.  
  
"No problem!" said Axel.  
  
"You don't mind if we do a little shopping first?" asked Prim.  
  
"You may, but if you fail this time you two will have to be my personal servants for a week." said Aquila.  
  
Merlor laughed to himself. "The Sailor upstarts' time is just about up!"  
  
~*~  
  
Trista had finished getting ready for tomorrow's show as she hung her latest design in a protective sleeve. She sighed as she put away the drawings she made of outfits she came up with. "I can't follow my dream anymore but I can't go back home either." She said to herself. Her parents didn't entirely agree with her about leaving the farm but they let her go pursue her dream of becoming a fashion designer.  
  
"You can always come back if it doesn't turn out well." she remembered her mother say.  
  
"I don't want to give up my dream, but I have to. I'm sorry I can't come home mom, dad, but destiny had something else in mind." She stopped and let a tear roll down her cheek. "How I wish could I tell you that I met my future self, that she told me that it's my destiny to guard the Gates of Time." she stopped for brief moment. "All alone, forever." She sat down in chair. "I was told that it's a great honor to be chosen and a noble duty. I'll do my best, it's the only thing I can do."  
  
Just then Trista heard a knock on the door and got up to see who it was. She opened the door and didn't see anyone at first that is until she looked down. She saw a young girl that had purple eyes and green hair like Trista's. It was almost like she looking at picture of herself when she was eight years old. "Um, hello little girl are you lost?"  
  
"No." she said. "Not anymore, now that I found you."  
  
"Don't you think that your parents would miss you?"  
  
"They're dead."  
  
"I'm so sorry." Trista let the girl in and closed the door behind her. "Here, you can stay for the night. My name is Trista, What's yours?"  
  
"Margaret, but everybody calls me Maggie."  
  
"Maggie it is then." Trista warmed up some soup and gave it to Maggie. "So what are doing out by yourself?"  
  
"Looking for you."  
  
"Why me?"  
  
"You are Sailor Pluto aren't you?"  
  
Trista was shocked. "How did you know about that?"  
  
"I've known almost all my life. I am a friend of small lady."  
  
"So you come from the future?"  
  
"Yes, I'm also going to be your daughter."  
  
Trista had about a million thoughts go through her head at once. {Could she be lying? No, there is too much of a resemblance between us. But I can't have a daughter if I have to be the Guardian of Time, I would have to be at my post almost constantly. Where could I find the time to start a family?}  
  
"Hello, Mom?" said Maggie.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. This Guardian of Time thing is still sorta new to me."  
  
"Guardian of Time?"  
  
"You don't know about that part of my duty?"  
  
"I know about it, but Mom said she turned it down."  
  
This was a big shock to Trista. {Turned it down?!} she thought. {This is a big problem; if Maggie is going to exist it means I'm going to shirk my responsibility. But I have to be the guardian; otherwise time would abused by those with dark hearts. But is it worth denying my own flesh and blood life?}  
  
"I really miss her and Dad a lot."  
  
"Ok, you can stay here as long as you like."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Trista still had doubts, but they could wait until morning.  
  
~*~  
  
The next morning Trista and Maggie were at the expo. Serena and Lita were also there looking at each of the new designs. "You've out done yourself this time!" said Lita looking at a dress Trista made.  
  
"I would save up two, no make that three months of allowance for this!" just then Serena noticed Maggie as she came back from using the bathroom. "Hey who's the mini-you?"  
  
"Serena, Lita, this Maggie, apparently she's my future daughter."  
  
"How nice to meet you." said Lita.  
  
"I knew that there was a prince for every princess." said Serena.  
  
"I still don't know who her father is." whispered Trista. "But something about her is making me feel uneasy."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"In case you forgot I'm supposed to be the Guardian of Time. How can I, no pun intended, make the time for a husband and child?"  
  
"The knights are supposed to help us in our duties, I'm sure he would help you guard the Gates of Time and build a family there."  
  
"The gates are no place to raise a child, all cold and dark, and besides she said her mother turned down the position."  
  
"Well there have been a few changes to the future timeline, maybe we found a way to..."  
  
"The gates need a sentry and a girl needs a mother, but I can't be both."  
  
"I'm sure you'll find a way to make it work."  
  
Gary came in looking for a place to set up the camera. "Maybe over..."  
  
"Gary?" asked Trista.  
  
"Oh hi Trista, I was looking for you."  
  
"Oh, Serena I want you to meet Gary Daniels, he's a...very close friend."  
  
"I see." said Lita with twinkle in her eye.  
  
Maggie came and saw Gary; Serena saw the look in her eye right away.  
  
"Da..."Maggie said just before Serena clamped her mouth shut.  
  
"Gee, it's time for your medication Maggie!" said Serena. "Lita, why don't you help me give it to her?" two left still holding Maggie's mouth shut."  
  
"You two look so much alike, are you related?" asked Gary.  
  
"Yes, she's my little sister." said Trista making up a cover story. "Mom and Dad sent her over here because they had better schools in the city."  
  
"Kids are great; I wouldn't mind being a dad someday."  
  
"So what are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm covering the expo, if do a good job I may become a reporter!"  
  
"That's great!"  
  
"So I guess you hope one of the scouts from the fashion industry will notice you."  
  
"I wasn't planning on it."  
  
"Don't be so modest! Yours are a lot better than any of the rest of the people here!"  
  
"Maybe." Trista said with a small laugh. She really liked Gary and she only wanted to distance herself from him so he wouldn't get hurt.  
  
~*~  
  
Serena and Lita had a talk with Maggie. "You were about to call him 'Dad' weren't you?" said Lita.  
  
"Yes." said Maggie. "But why did you take me away like that?"  
  
"He doesn't know that he's Pluto Knight yet." said Serena. "We have to wait until his powers awaken by themselves."  
  
"Oh, I didn't know."  
  
"You miss him don't you?"  
  
"And Mom."  
  
"Don't worry; if we can stop these Blackstar guys then everyone in Crystal Tokyo will be alright."  
  
"Ok, thank you your majesty."  
  
"I'm not queen yet, just call me Serena. And I think it will make Trista more comfortable if you call her by her name, she's not your mom yet."  
  
"Alright."  
  
"We better get back." said Lita.  
  
~*~  
  
"So pay close attention, you may see one of these designers works on the cover on cover of a magazine some day. Gary Daniels, Channel 8 action news." He turned to Trista not realizing that he left the camera on. "And that's a wrap."  
  
"I'm sure I'll see it tonight."  
  
Just then a familiar voice was heard "Like I'll take this one and that one, that's just trash and wow I want everything over there."  
  
Trista turned and saw Prim who was pointing to her booth and Axel lugging a large number of bags. "Don't you think you have enough already?!"  
  
"Sorry Miss." said an expo worker. "But all of these clothes are just for display; you'll have to return them."  
  
"I plan on paying for them!"  
  
"Then you'll have to talk with the designers."  
  
"You there how much for your entire..."then Prim noticed that she was talking to Trista. "Oh great, it's you!"  
  
"Return everything you stole and leave at once!" said Trista.  
  
"You know these clowns?" asked Gary.  
  
"Big time trouble makers." said Trista. "They're dangerous so you better find a good hiding place. I'll make sure no one else gets hurt."  
  
"Be careful." Gary left leaving the camera behind.  
  
"Fine, then take these as payment instead!" Prim threw out some ingots and Trista transformed as soon as everyone left.  
  
"PLUTO ASTRAL POWER!"  
  
Seeing the Ingots Serena, Lita, and Maggie also changed out of sight from Prim and Axel.  
  
"PLUTO LULLABY POWER!"  
  
"JUPITER ASTRAL POWER!"  
  
"MOON INFINITY POWER!"  
  
Mini-Pluto's uniform was magenta with a dark green ribbon.  
  
"Stop right there! I stand for justice and love, I am Sailor Moon and on behalf of the moon, I will punish you!"  
  
"Look they got another squirt with them!" said Prim.  
  
"How can I see her?" said Axel. "All this junk is blocking my view!"  
  
"Take this!" said Mini-Pluto.  
  
"PLUTO GUSTY BREEZE!"  
  
The wind attack was weak but more than enough to destroy a number of ingots.  
  
"You can have it all back!" said Axel dropping all the bags.  
  
"Time to for you two to catch a flight!" said Sailor Pluto.  
  
"PLUTO FURIOUS CYCLONE!"  
  
"My HMO is not gonna like this!" said Axel.  
  
Pluto's attack destroyed the remaining Ingots and sent Prim and Axel flying to the distance where they landed in cloud of smoke.  
  
"Trista!" said Gary. They returned their original forms before he came back. "What happened to those two?"  
  
"The Sailor scouts showed up and sent them running."  
  
"Ah man. If only I could have gotten it on tape!"  
  
"Don't worry you'll do fine."  
  
Gary picked up the camera that turned off after the tape ran out. "Well I better check the tape before I turn it in tonight."  
  
"Still on for dinner?"  
  
"Yeah, better get going goodbye!"  
  
"We better get going too." said Serena. "Trista you wouldn't mind if we took her see the others?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Great!" said Lita. "Daisy has told me that a girl named Maggie is her best friend so I know that she'll be glad to see you."  
  
"I can't wait to see her too!" said Maggie.  
  
"You go ahead, I have some errands to run." said Trista.  
  
"We'll bring her home, around six ok for you?" said Serena.  
  
"Yes, I see you later Maggie."  
  
"Ok, goodbye for now Trista."  
  
~*~  
  
"That must be a record for getting the pants beat off of you." said Aquila.  
  
"I now this looks bad." said Prim.  
  
"Bad? That barely begins to describe it."  
  
"If you didn't notice my hands were full." said Axel.  
  
"Let's get down to business. Go to the TV station, create the nightmare and beat the scouts. That is unless you want to be my servants."  
  
"We'll do it."  
  
"Good."  
  
~*~  
  
Gary was watching the tape and felt he did a good job. "That should do it." then he noticed that the tape went further than he intended. "Maybe I caught the scouts' battle on tape, that'd be even better than the fashion expo!" The next thing he saw caught him totally off guard.  
  
"PLUTO ASTRAL POWER!"  
  
"Trista?!" he asked himself. He just saw Trista transform into Sailor Pluto right there on tape. A lot of emotions went through him at that moment; amazement, concern, and especially anger.  
  
Just then the phone rang.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"It's Trista; they lost our reservation. Anywhere else for dinner?"  
  
"How about in our apartments away from each other?" he answered coldly.  
  
"Gary what's wrong?"  
  
"I was reviewing the tape before I sent it in. Turns out the camera was running longer than I thought and it caught quite a show. Do you know what the best part is? It's when you became Sailor Pluto right in front of the lens!"  
  
Trista was shocked. "How could I have been so careless?" she thought. But on the phone she was all business. "Gary you have to give me that tape."  
  
"How could you keep this from me?! I thought that we were totally honest with each other!"  
  
"Gary." Trista stopped for a moment. "I had to keep it secret to keep you safe."  
  
"I trusted you! If you had told me I would have never told a soul!"  
  
"It's was not just about you telling anyone." She stopped again. "It 's about me having to go out to dinner with you tonight to tell you that I have to stop seeing you because I didn't feel that it was working out, when the real reason was so I can become the Guardian of Time and stand watch at the Gates of Time alone for all eternity!"  
  
"Who are you?! Sailor Pluto, The Guardian of Time, I thought you were my friend!"  
  
"Gary, please!"  
  
"Too late! I'm turning this tape in, by eleven o' clock tonight your secret will be out and I don't care what happens to you after that!"  
  
"Is that how it is?" Trista got angry. "In that case, good luck with your new career! I see now that's the only thing you care about!" Trista slammed the receiver down and sobbed. She later collected herself and used her communicator. "I've been found out. Gary is planning to show a tape showing who I am on the news tonight."  
  
"I can go." said Serena. "I'll take Lita, Mina, Ken and Jamie along to the TV station. That should be enough to get the tape and not be caught."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Still, you should also go and try to talk to Gary."  
  
"I don't think I can change his mind, and I'd rather not see him again."  
  
Serena wanted to tell her about what Maggie said, but knew that Trista had to find out on her own. "Don't give up on him yet. We'll get the tape."  
  
Trista closed the line and went out to the park.  
  
~*~  
  
Trista sat alone on a bench thinking about everything that happened to her in the last twenty-four hours. "I'm being torn in so many directions I can't tell where I want to go."  
  
"Then maybe you should stay put for a little while." said a friendly voice. Trista turned to find that the voice belonged to a black man wearing sunglasses and a trench coat. "Mind if I sit with you?"  
  
"No, not at all."  
  
"So what's your problem?"  
  
"I had a big fight with my boyfriend. I want to try to patch things up, but it won't matter."  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"I have this job I'm supposed to take and I have to make a big move to do it."  
  
"Sounds like you don't want this job."  
  
"Yes and no. It's the opportunity of a lifetime and a great responsibility. But I wouldn't be able to fulfill my childhood dream or stay with him."  
  
"That's a pickle alright."  
  
"If I don't take it I'll let so many people down and if I do I'll hurt someone very important to me."  
  
"My daddy told me there were three secrets to living a very happy life. One, treat others how you want to be treated; two, stop and take your time; and three, don't give a hoot what anybody else thinks."  
  
"So I should not take it."  
  
"I can't tell you to if you should take the job or not, only you can. But as for your boyfriend you should both forget who was wrong and just forgive each other. If you don't, you'll regret it."  
  
"Thanks I better get going before it's too late!"  
  
As she left she didn't hear the stranger say "Good luck Sailor Pluto, you're gonna need it."  
  
~*~  
  
At the TV station Gary was stopped by a friend as Vivian was applying makeup nearby. "Hey I heard you got a big story all on your own!"  
  
"Once in a lifetime big!" said Gary. "The boss will go nuts over this!"  
  
"Is that so?" Vivian thought. She quietly reached into Gary's bag and pulled out that tape. "You worked for me for two years. You should have known by now that no one out scoops Vivian Fenwick!" she then decided to wait until Gary humiliated himself before watching the tape and then put herself in as the reporter.  
  
~*~  
  
Trista used her communicator. "Guys could you hold off for a little while, I want to try to convince Gary one last time."  
  
"Ok." said Mina. "I hope it goes well."  
  
Trista found him going to the manager's office and stopped him. "I've already made up my mind, so you can..."  
  
"Will you shut up and listen!" shouted Trista. "Look I'm sorry that didn't tell you about this and for pushing you away from me. But I'm begging you please don't do this!"  
  
Gary's eyes softened. "I didn't really want to hurt you, but it wasn't about my career. I felt angry about you keeping me away lately and I wanted to know why, guess this finally gave me a reason yell at you."  
  
"I guess I didn't think too much about us after I found out about being the Guardian of Time. I just accepted the fact that I would spend all of eternity alone."  
  
"No, not if I went with you."  
  
"Maybe you could come with me, but the gates are a very bleak place."  
  
"I don't care; it'd be beautiful if you were there. I took this job to follow my dreams, but lately you're all I've been dreaming about."  
  
Just then Trista's locket started to glow. From it came a ring with a dark green stone that had the symbol of Pluto engraved onto it. The ring then went to Gary's finger.  
  
"Wait, does this mean that I'm..."  
  
Trista finished for him. "Yes. You're my prince and my knight!"  
  
"I felt that for some reason I belonged with them, now I know why."  
  
Trista then turned serious. "Please, give me the tape."  
  
"Sure!" he reached into his bag but then he had a worried expression on his face. "It's not in here!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"The tape it's gone! Oh my god! Vivian, I was talking to friend of mine who was next to her, she must have taken it!"  
  
Trista used her communicator. "Guys, I found out that Gary is my knight."  
  
"I knew you would find out on your own, so our problems are over." said Serena.  
  
"No such luck, Vivian has stolen the tape we got to get it back."  
  
"Just point us in the right direction!" said Lita.  
  
"She'd probably be in the studio." said Gary. "She'll wait until she can put herself in it so we should wait until after the broadcast."  
  
"Then we'll meet you there." said Jamie.  
  
"How did Sailor Moon know that I was your knight before we did?" asked Gary after the communication was cut.  
  
"Serena probably found out from Maggie." said Trista.  
  
"How would your kid sister know?"  
  
"Actually she's our daughter."  
  
"Oh. Wait, she's our what?!"  
  
"Don't worry I'll give you the full story while we wait for the right time and besides I thought you wanted to be a dad."  
  
"Sorry this all still a bit much for me."  
  
"You'll get used to it." she then told him about the Silver Millennium and Crystal Tokyo.  
  
~*~  
  
"That's it for Channel 8 action news, good night." said the anchor.  
  
Everyone was in a rush to go home except Vivian. She wanted to use the editing room after everyone left so she could see what was on it then add herself in properly. Gary came up to her with Trista. "Viv do you have my tape?"  
  
"I don't see your name on it and possession is nine tenths of the law."  
  
"You can't show that tape!" said Gary. "If you do it will hurt a lot of people."  
  
"Got a visit from your conscience? Sorry but we have a saying in the news business and you would do well to remember it. 'If it bleeds, it leads.'"  
  
"Don't make us force you." said Trista.  
  
"Sorry lady, but if it's as good as he said it was then this is my ticket to having my own talk show."  
  
"Well isn't this juicy?" said Prim.  
  
"You two again?!" said Serena as she came in.  
  
"Quick now!"  
  
"NIGHTMARE GO!"  
  
Vivian changed into a Nightmare that had different facemasks all over its body. "I am Maskeraid and you will all join the Blackstar!"  
  
"Never, you costume party reject!" said Lita as the others came in.  
  
"Let's go for it!" said Ken.  
  
"JUPITER ASTRAL POWER!"  
  
"JUPITER NOBEL POWER!"  
  
"VENUS ASTRAL POWER!"  
  
"VENUS NOBEL POWER!"  
  
"PLUTO ASTRAL POWER!"  
  
"PLUTO NOBEL POWER!"  
  
"MOON INFINITY POWER!"  
  
Pluto knight's armor was a dark green and his weapon was a boomerang.  
  
"Doing such a thing even to a creep like her is unforgivable!" said Sailor Moon. "I am Sailor Moon and on behalf of the Moon I shall punish you!"  
  
Prim and Axel just yawned.  
  
"Could it actually be that my lovely speech is losing its impact?"  
  
"Keep saying It." said Aquila as she appeared. "I could use small naps more often."  
  
"So you're here to help us?" asked Axel.  
  
"No, I'm just here to make sure you don't sneak out of our deal."  
  
"Maskeraid attack!" yelled Prim.  
  
"VENUS SHINING WHIPLASH!"  
  
Maskeraid avoided the attack and removed a mask from her body. "Try this on for size!" she threw the mask onto Venus Knight's face. "A perfect fit!"  
  
He then attacked Sailor Venus. "No, how could you do this?" she yelled.  
  
"My masks are very persuasive." said Maskeraid. "He is under my control now!"  
  
"Then I'll set him free!"  
  
"VENUS LUMINESCENT PURGE!"  
  
The attack just deflected off the mask. "My masks also act like impenetrable armor, you can't beat him, but feel free to join him!" she threw another mask on Sailor Venus' face.  
  
"Forgetting me?" said Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"JUPITER LIGHTNINGORB BLITZ!"  
  
The attack was deflected off one of her masks.  
  
"Maybe if we hit a spot that wasn't covered!" said Jupiter Knight.  
  
"JUPITER THUNDER CLAWS!"  
  
Sailor Venus and Venus Knight took the attack for Maskeraid.  
  
"Using our friends as shields, you're despicable!"  
  
"Don't knock it until you tried it!" Maskeraid threw two more masks at Sailor Jupiter and Jupiter Knight. "Now attack Sailor Moon!"  
  
The four of them charged Sailor Moon who had a hard time fighting them off without hurting them. "Sailor Pluto, Pluto Knight, attack her while they're busy with me!"  
  
"Think you're up to this?" asked Sailor Pluto.  
  
"I've been waiting all my life for this!" said Pluto Knight.  
  
"Even with four masks gone my body is still indestructible!" said Maskeraid.  
  
"Then try this!"  
  
"PLUTO TYPHOON BOOMERANG!"  
  
He threw the boomerang at Maskeraid and it sent blasts of wind along its path blowing off every mask, except her facemask, off her body. "My masks!"  
  
"We'll help you get them back!" said Axel. But two masks landed on his face and Prim's before they could help.  
  
"PLUTO FURIOUS CYCLONE!"  
  
The attack not only weakened Maskeraid but also destroyed the video tape.  
  
Sailor Moon got free and summoned her sword. "About time for this costume party to end!"  
  
"MOON MAGNUM STARBEAM!"  
  
Maskeraid screamed as she and Vivian were separated and the Nightmare stone shattered. At the same time all the masks broke apart. "Thanks, I couldn't help myself." said Venus Knight.  
  
Prim and Axel then got up. "Like this is not good." said Prim.  
  
"Aquila will probably have us scrub every toilet in the fortress." said Axel.  
  
"And I have a lot of boots for you to shine." said Aquila. The three then left.  
  
"Looks like they got away." said Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"We'll get 'em next time." said Trista after they reverted.  
  
Vivian woke up and looked for the tape. "Where is it?!"  
  
"We got rid of it." said Gary.  
  
"You what?!"  
  
"And you know what else? I still want to be a reporter but not one like you, I quit!"  
  
Vivian just shrugged. "Your loss then."  
  
As they left Gary told Trista. "Tomorrow I want to really meet Maggie, let her know that I know."  
  
"I think she'd love It." said Trista.  
  
From the station roof the stranger Trista talked to earlier looked on and said. "Whatever you choose keep him close Sailor Pluto, you'll all need each other in the battle ahead."  
  
~*~  
  
Richforce: Who is this guy and how does he know about the scouts' real identities? Keep reading to find out. 


	3. Cousins by Birth, Sisters at Heart

Richforce: My family will be moving soon so it could be a while for me to update after this. All characters belong to their respective owners.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter 3: Cousins by Birth, Sisters at Heart  
  
Astra's flaming image addressed Merlor and the Vanguard at his lab. "Merlor, all of your attempts to find the vault have ended in failure and your relatives' incompetence continues to stupefy me!"  
  
"Is that a good thing?" asked Axel.  
  
"Great Astra." said Merlor. "We have narrowed down the location to two possible areas, we will find it soon."  
  
"Like, why are even helping this face anyway?" asked Prim.  
  
"I am more than a face!" said Astra. "You stand in the presence of a goddess! I once brought order where there was chaos, peace where there was war and civilization where there was savagery. But my worshipers turned against me and sealed me in this accursed prison!"  
  
"Whoa, you got jacked!" said Axel.  
  
"Release me and I will give you what you desire, but judging from your current track record I shall remain imprisoned here for all eternity!"  
  
"Relax great Astra." said Scorpio. "I will make the nightmare stone needed, provided that Merlor has chosen a candidate."  
  
"I have." said Merlor. He conjured an image of a man in a white restaurant uniform. "And even if he should be defeated we will be able to zero in on the vault."  
  
"I hope so." said Astra. "For your sake." She then disappeared.  
  
Looks like we have our work cut out for us Altair." said Aquila.  
  
~*~  
  
The scouts had a meeting at the shrine. "So you've all been enjoying your stay here?" asked Raye.  
  
"It's been ok." said Daisy. "I'm glad that Maggie is here with us now, but we really miss home."  
  
Gloria got impatient. "What are we doing just sitting around here?! We should be looking for those Blackstar creeps and saving our future!"  
  
"First of all." said Mina. "We don't know where they are, unless any of you remembered." The kids shook their heads. "Second, we know that they are looking for something, we don't what it is but we have to find it first."  
  
Serena then ran up. "Guys we've got serious situation!"  
  
Everyone got in a fighting stance. "We're ready to kick butt!" said Lita.  
  
"What's the problem?!" said Annika.  
  
"Amara and Michelle are fighting!" said Serena.  
  
Everyone fell down. "That's your serious situation?!" yelled Raye.  
  
"We're talking about Amara and Michelle, they NEVER fight!"  
  
"It is a little unusual for them." said Amy. "But even the best of friends have arguments."  
  
"This isn't just a spat; they practically declared war on each other and they're more like sisters than cousins!"  
  
"Serena." said Mina. "I've read that family relationships are too close for there not to be fighting."  
  
"She's right." said Ariel.  
  
"Yeah." said Rini. "You wouldn't believe some of the fights our parents had, they could be so loud that the whole palace could hear them yelling." The scouts gave her a look that said "You'd better be exaggerating!"  
  
"Well maybe I should check on them just to be sure." said Serena. She was worried about them and she didn't want to hear exactly how bad those fights were going to be.  
  
~*~  
  
"Explain to me why I'm helping you again." said Darien.  
  
"They won't tell me why they're fighting if I just ask them." said Serena. "I figure that if we just work it into a conversation about asking them to come with us while we're on a date they'd be a little more willing to tell since we would already be talking for a while."  
  
"Alright, but I'm going on record saying that this is not how I want to spend a day off from work."  
  
They first went to the auditorium to talk to Michelle. They walked in as a theater group was ending rehearsal. "Hey Michelle!" said Serena. "I didn't know that you also acted."  
  
"I don't." said Michelle. "I came to watch Walter rehearse."  
  
"Who?"  
  
At that moment a young man with sky blue hair and green eyes wearing a shirt and vest came up. "Michelle, I want to thank you again for coming." said the young man with an air of sophistication.  
  
"I enjoy watching you perform it was no trouble at all." said Michelle.  
  
"Care to introduce me to your friends?"  
  
"Oh Darien, Serena, I'd like you to meet Walter Cole, my boyfriend."  
  
"Nice to meet you Walter." said Darien.  
  
"The pleasure is all mine." said Walter.  
  
"So how long have you two been dating?" said Serena.  
  
"For about two months." said Michelle. "We met when I wanted to try my hand at playing in an orchestra and it turned out to be for an opera he was playing the leading role in. He heard me play the violin asked me if he could play along on his flute and that's pretty much how we ended up here."  
  
"Well I consider myself a man of culture and the Michelle way paints and plays her music moves the soul." said Walter.  
  
"I could say the same way about your acting and poetry."  
  
"That gives me an idea." said Serena. "How about the four of us go out for pizza tonight?"  
  
"Sorry, but Michelle and I were going to La Papillon for dinner tonight." said Walter.  
  
"I've heard of it." said Darien. "It's a very high class restaurant, how could you afford it?"  
  
"My family has been wealthy for a few generations and the owner is a good friend of mine. Wait, why don't you come with us, my treat?"  
  
"Oh we couldn't impose." said Serena.  
  
"I insist we were going to celebrate the success of a friend of mine so two more reservations should be no problem. However it is a formal attire establishment, you can come in the proper form of dress right?"  
  
"I can barrow a gown and Darien has a tuxedo."  
  
"Good then, is seven a good time for you come?"  
  
"Yes, oh Michelle you think Amara can come?"  
  
Michelle had a sour look on her face. "Um, we already have six people coming including you, could get a little crowded. I have to get ready see you all tonight." She then left.  
  
"Well we better get going too." said Darien. "We have to meet up with another friend."  
  
"Very well." said Walter.  
  
As they left Darien had a talk with Serena. "Why did you accept? I thought we were going to ask about what this fight is about."  
  
"So she's a little closed up on it right now, we'll ask her at dinner and besides it would be nice to rub elbows with the rich."  
  
~*~  
  
Later they found Amara at the garage were she worked. "Hey guys!" said Amara as she was coming out from underneath a car she was working on. "What brings you out here?"  
  
Serena decided to start off on a topic that would seem normal. "I wanted to congratulate you on winning that extreme sports thing on your motocross bike."  
  
"You mean the X-1 grand prix? It wasn't just motocross; it was a relay triathlon of extreme sports; I was the motocross racer for the winning team."  
  
"What were the other two parts?" asked Darien.  
  
"Rock climbing and mountain boarding."  
  
At that moment a brown skinned young man came. He had hazel eyes black hair and small beard covering his chin. "Hey Amara, we're good for tonight." He said with Spanish accent.  
  
"Thanks for taking me out Miguel."  
  
Serena did a double take. "You have a boyfriend?!"  
  
Amara blushed. "Must be weird for the tomboy to have a boyfriend, huh? Well now that you know let me introduce you to Miguel Cortez, he's a Mexican expatriate, his father came here on business."  
  
"Nice to meet you." said Miguel.  
  
"I always expected you Mexicans to wear sombreros and play the guitar." said Serena.  
  
"And before I came here I always expected you Japanese to wear black pajamas and jump around rooftops with Katana swords, but that's cultural stereotypes for you."  
  
"So how did you two meet?" asked Darien.  
  
"I rode motocross back home since I was ten so I started racing here two months ago and that's where I met Amara, she beat me of course."  
  
"You would have won if you weren't so busy showing off." said Amara.  
  
"Guess I'll always be a freestyle guy at heart."  
  
"Anyway, a few days later I needed to call a repairman to fix a sink, imagine my surprise when Miguel showed up at the door; he's really quite the handyman. So we've been dating for a while and Miguel won the X-1 for us on mountain board."  
  
"And to celebrate a friend invited us to eat at, what was the name of that restaurant again?"  
  
"La Papillon."  
  
"Hey, were eating there tonight too!" said Serena. "You can look for us and Michelle!"  
  
Amara turned up her nose. "I'd rather not."  
  
"What's your problem with her?" asked Darien.  
  
"In a word, everything; I'll go but I don't want to see her."  
  
"Ok, we'll see you tonight then."  
  
~*~  
  
After they left Darien spoke his mind. "Well that was a wasted afternoon."  
  
"Wasted?" said Serena.  
  
"We didn't find out why Amara and Michelle are fighting."  
  
"At least I tired to help!"  
  
"And that's your problem! You always stick your nose in to help and you never even ask if anyone wants it!"  
  
"Well sorry if I'm a caring enough person to think of someone other than myself, unlike you Mr. Scrooge!"  
  
"But you're not thinking about them, you're thinking about you!" Darien then got sarcastic. "Here comes Queen Serena, the answer to the question no one asked!"  
  
"Creep!"  
  
"Brat!"  
  
Serena then had horrified look on her face. "Oh my god, Rini was right!"  
  
Darien became concerned. "Right about what?"  
  
"She said that when the Scouts and Knights got married they would yell so loud that the whole palace would hear them when they fought. And here I am the bickering hen!"  
  
"I'm sorry, but I guess friction between couples is just natural at times, no matter how close they are."  
  
"I'm sorry too, but I guess a relationship without fighting can be boring sometimes and being angry at someone means that you care about them enough to give them a nudge in the right direction."  
  
"If you ever think I need it, nudge away."  
  
"We better get ready for tonight. Put on a good tuxedo like you used to."  
  
"And you better put on very beautiful gown."  
  
~*~  
  
As the sun was setting two young girls talked to each other in the shadows. "I'm worried about our moms."  
  
"They'll be fine; we saw that they met our dads, right?"  
  
"But I'm afraid that if they keep fighting like they are now, we may never become friends!"  
  
"They can't stay mad at each other forever, and even if they do we would still be secret sisters. Nothing can change that."  
  
"You're right! We'll show ourselves when the time is right."  
  
"I miss my mom and dad a lot."  
  
"I miss my mom and dad too."  
  
~*~  
  
That night Darien and Serena were dressed and standing in front of the La Papillon, the building had a big pink neon sign in the shape of a butterfly; it was the kind of restaurant that Lita dreamed of running some day. Darien had a tuxedo that looked a little familiar on him and Serena wore a white evening gown she barrowed from her mother. They came up to a doorman who was checking a book. "Do sir and madam have a reservation of course?" he said with a French accent.  
  
"Were with the Cole party." said Serena.  
  
"Ah Cole, party of six, he is expecting you now."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Amara and Miguel came up right behind them. Miguel also had a tuxedo but what surprised Serena was that Amara was wearing a stunning gold colored evening gown, high heels, a purse and makeup. "Amara, I almost didn't recognize you!"  
  
"Well this is a special occasion and I thought Miguel would like it if I prettied myself up." Amara said with a blush.  
  
"And I do." said Miguel.  
  
"Just don't expect me to do this everyday!" she said in scolding yet playful voice. "The only reason I got the purse was because the gown didn't have any pockets and I'm never wearing these heels again, they're killing me!"  
  
"Should we go in?" asked Darien.  
  
"Of course." said Miguel. The doorman asked for their reservations. "We've been invented here by a friend of mine. He would put his name in as Cole.  
  
Serena did a double take. "Cole?"  
  
"Yes Walter Cole, we were friends ever since I moved here when I was fourteen."  
  
"He was the one who invited us."  
  
"Then why are we keeping him waiting?" said Amara. "I would like to know how you both met him."  
  
"Darien I don't think..."  
  
"Wait Serena, this just might work out." said Darien.  
  
They went in and were escorted to the table Walter and Michelle were sitting at. Michelle was wearing a sparkling aqua colored dress and a fancy necklace that had to have been a gift from Walter. "Serena, Darien, I'm glad you could..." she then saw Amara who was equally surprised. "What are you doing here?!"  
  
"Celebrating with Miguel and trying to avoid you, though the latter has been a failure!"  
  
"And what's this? Where did you get this stuff and why are you wearing it?!"  
  
"I bought the gown, shoes and purse myself and I barrowed the makeup from you!"  
  
"You should have asked, not that I would have said yes!"  
  
"It's not illegal for me to look feminine every once in while!"  
  
"I didn't think you had a feminine side!"  
  
"I'm lost here." said Walter.  
  
"You two know each other?" asked Miguel.  
  
"Unfortunately yes, this is my snake in the grass cousin!" they both said at the same time.  
  
"Now, now." said Serena. "We're all adults here, so let's just try to enjoy a nice dinner."  
  
They all sat down Amara and Michelle shooting daggers at each other with their eyes. A waiter with a small black moustache came. "Bonjour, I'll be your waiter this evening. May I suggest the cordon blue?"  
  
"That sounds good." said Michelle.  
  
"Chicken or ham?"  
  
"Ham is ok."  
  
"I'll have chicken." said Amara wanting the opposite of what Michelle had.  
  
"For an entrée, would you like soup or salad?"  
  
"Salad."  
  
"Soup."  
  
"Red wine or white?"  
  
"White."  
  
"Red."  
  
"And you Madam?" the Waiter asked Serena.  
  
"Gee I don't know. All these names are in French. Oh, I'll have the Jean Louis Picard."  
  
"Madam has just ordered the name of one of our chefs."  
  
Serena blushed. "I thought that the chef owned the restaurant and had named it after himself."  
  
"Papillon is the French word for butterfly." said Walter.  
  
"Oh, then I'll just have what Darien is having."  
  
The waiter left after taking the guys orders leaving the six to make conversation. Walter and Miguel had no problem though Miguel felt a little uncomfortable. Darien entered in when it turned to things like politics or work. Serena was mostly quiet having no one to talk to since Amara and Michelle weren't speaking at all. It wasn't long until the waiter came with the entrées. It was a little longer for the main course. Soon Serena was taking part of a conversation with Darien, Miguel and Walter. "I couldn't imagine my life now without Michelle. I don't care what my parents may think about her being middle class."  
  
"They would care if they don't want to see their family fortune go down the drain." said Amara as she took a bite of her meal.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Not this again." said Michelle.  
  
"She would be what you would call a starving artist, not because her paintings are trash but because she always blows her money on stupid things like her nails, hair, and clothes first. I think that one belt is enough but she has forty or fifty belts and a lot of them are the same color. If she had access to your family's money it would be gone in two months time at most."  
  
"My paintings are trash?!" said an enraged Michelle. "I put everything I have into those paintings!"  
  
"Including your half of the rent! I'm always bailing you out of trouble with the landlord!""  
  
"At least I spend more time and money on keeping that place clean!"  
  
"Oh, now you're fighting dirty!"  
  
"Dirty?! That doesn't even begin to describe the dump I have to work like a slave to clean up every single day without her help! Miguel if you chose to go out with her because you think she's a good housekeeper then I hate to disappoint you but if you two got married in a week the government would have to officially declare your home a toxic waste dump!"  
  
"Toxic waste dump?!"  
  
"I don't know what else to call that mix of mud and motor oil you always track in from your stupid little races! It wouldn't kill you to do your own laundry!"  
  
"Stupid?! Is that what you call every race I work hard to win?!"  
  
"If you call my paintings my paintings trash, then yes!"  
  
"Gee, have any of you seen that new movie 'The Rose and the Ghost'?" said Serena trying to change the topic. However she was ignored. The argument continued for a little while and went on to incidents that went backward in time and had now reached kindergarten.  
  
"I still haven't forgiven you for flushing my favorite dolly down the toilet!" yelled Michelle.  
  
"And I still haven't forgiven you for scribbling your icky pink crayon all over the walls of my room!" yelled Amara.  
  
"This has been building up for while." said Serena.  
  
"Its natural." said Darien. "They had to blow sometime."  
  
"Here's the plan." Miguel said to Walter. "We leave the country, change our names, shave our heads and join a group of Tibetan monks, take a vow of silence and no one will ever talk to us about this again."  
  
"I have a better idea." said Walter.  
  
The Waiter came back as Walter whispered it Miguel. "Madams are disturbing the other customers! Stop now or I will have to ask you to leave!" he said to Amara and Michelle.  
  
"We'll handle this." said Walter. "Michelle we have to talk somewhere private."  
  
"And we're going with them Amara." said Miguel. The guys left tugging the girls by the wrist.  
  
"So what do you have in the way of desserts?" Serena asked the waiter.  
  
"Tonight I recommend the tarte f au fromage a la flambé."  
  
"And that is?"  
  
"Cheesecake that is set on fire for a short time before you eat it, really adds to the presentation."  
  
"Bring a slice for all six of us!"  
  
"But of course."  
  
"You're ordering dessert after what just happened?!" asked Darien.  
  
"I'm sure that the guys are helping them settle things down, I say that is cause for a treat."  
  
~*~  
  
They took the girls over to the restrooms to talk with them. "Ok we are going to settle this right here, right now!" said Miguel.  
  
"Do you know how childish you two looked back there?" said Walter.  
  
"I guess we did let this get out of control." said Michelle.  
  
"Yeah, we were acting like a couple of jerks." said Amara.  
  
"It's obvious that you really care about each other, so it's best to bury the hatchet now." said Walter.  
  
"I'm sorry, about everything." said Amara. "I don't really think that your paintings are trash."  
  
"I'm sorry too." said Michelle. "And I don't think your races are stupid."  
  
"Do you even forgive me for flushing your doll?"  
  
"If you forgive me for drawing on your bedroom wall."  
  
"Consider it done."  
  
"Here too."  
  
"Isn't that sweet?" said Miguel.  
  
"Miguel, I also have to say I'm sorry to you too." said Amara. "I drug you into this."  
  
"Walter, I'm sorry that I ruined our evening." said Michelle.  
  
"How could it ruined?" said Walter. "I still have you and that's all that matters. I'd stand by you no matter what."  
  
"And I don't hold anything against you Amara." said Miguel. "Meeting you and being with you are the best things about me coming to this country. You mean more to me than I thought anything would."  
  
At that moment something started to glow from both of their purses. "What is going on?" said Walter.  
  
"This is getting weird!" said Miguel.  
  
Amara and Michelle took out their lockets and each produced a ring. One had an aqua stone with the symbol of Neptune on it, while the other had a gold colored stone and had the symbol of Uranus. The aqua ring went to Walter and the gold ring went to Miguel. "It can't be." said Amara.  
  
"It is." said Michelle. "Even though I never thought it could happen to us."  
  
Walter then realized what happened. "Let me guess, you're Sailor Neptune and you're Sailor Uranus."  
  
"Yes we are." said Michelle.  
  
"And these rings must somehow make us the Uranus and Neptune Knights." said Miguel.  
  
"That's right." said Amara.  
  
"The question I have is why?"  
  
"It's a long story." said Michelle. "It all started a long time ago..."  
  
After they gave an explanation. "...And that brings us to now. So will you help us?"  
  
"I'm in." said Miguel. "I can't let Amara do this alone anymore now that I know."  
  
"I'll also fight." said Walter. "Violence is not something I relish, but if the fate of the world is at stake there is nothing I'd rather do than fight alongside you Michelle."  
  
"We should get back to our table." said Amara. "Serena and Darien might be getting worried."  
  
~*~  
  
Back in the Kitchen there was a lot of work going on. Jean took a cheesecake he made earlier and added the final touch by striking a match and briefly moved it against the surface of the cake. "Perfect." He said as a flame rose from the cake.  
  
Just then a cold breeze came in from an open door to the alley and blew the flame out. Prim, Axel and Aquila came in. "Do you guys do take out?" said Axel.  
  
"Hey you're not supposed to be in here!" said Jean.  
  
"And we're not supposed to do this either." said Prim.  
  
"NIGHTMARE GO!"  
  
Jean's nightmare was a half-man half-squid that had two large tentacles coming from the squid-shaped head.  
  
"Alright." said Aquila as the rest of staff fled in terror. "What is your name?" The Nightmare responded with a series of grunts and squeals. "That's a little hard to pronounce, you two have any ideas?"  
  
"How about Octosquid?" said Axel. The Nightmare sprayed ink at Axel from its mouth. "Guess not."  
  
"We need something more vicious." said Aquila. "Altair, what do think about Killermari?"  
  
Altair screeched and the Nightmare jiggled in apparent approval. "I think he likes It." said Prim.  
  
"Good. Now go forth and do damage Killermari."  
  
~*~  
  
Back at the table Serena and Darien were wondering why a lot of cooks were rushing out of the kitchen and then out the door. "Hey, what about my cheesecake?!" said Serena.  
  
"What could be scaring them?" thought Darien. He got his answer as Killermari stepped into room scaring everyone else out.  
  
"That is one ugly Nightmare." said Serena.  
  
"I hope you don't mind if we stop by for an in-between battle snack." said Aquila with her usual haughty laugh.  
  
"You always have to ruin everything don't you?!"  
  
"Hey, like it's a living." said Prim.  
  
The others came back at that point. "You creeps have picked the wrong night to mess with us!" said Amara.  
  
Axel smacked his palm on his forehead. "Don't tell me those guys are..."  
  
"Yes, our knights." said Michelle.  
  
"Great then let's show these guys out!" said Serena.  
  
"MOON INFINITY POWER!"  
  
"MOON REGAL POWER!"  
  
"URANUS ASTRAL POWER!"  
  
"URANUS NOBEL POWER!"  
  
"NEPTUNE ASTRAL POWER!"  
  
"NEPTUNE NOBEL POWER!"  
  
Uranus Knight's armor was a gold color and had a sledgehammer for a weapon while Neptune Knight's armor was an aqua green and his weapon was a light trident.  
  
"It's wrong to terrorize people innocent people who are just trying to enjoy a nice dinner! I am Sailor Moon and on behalf of the moon I will punish you!"  
  
"I seriously doubt that." said Aquila. "Killermari, I'll fight these three myself you can have the rest of them." Aquila then separated them with an energy barrier.  
  
"You expect us to be impressed by this?" said Sailor Uranus.  
  
"No, all I expect you to do is to die!"  
  
"AIR SLICE!"  
  
Sailor Neptune managed to dodge the attack. "You can't beat us together!" she then turned to Sailor Uranus. "Let's show her what we can do together!"  
  
"I'm behind you all the way!"  
  
"NEPTUNE OCEANIC MAELSTROM!"  
  
"URANUS TECTONIC UPHEAVAL!"  
  
The two attacks caught Aquila off guard. "You struck me. Only one person has ever struck me before, and I didn't like it then either!"  
  
"LIGHTSPEED BATTALION!"  
  
"Heads up!" said Sailor Moon as the after images appeared. "Her eagle is going to attack!"  
  
"That's what you think!" Aquila said as her voice came from all directions.  
  
"AIR SLICE TIMES TWENTY!"  
  
Twenty attacks came from all directions. The scouts had no time to react. "I thought that you couldn't attack while using that move." said Sailor Moon."  
  
"A little trick I acquired recently; do you like it?"  
  
~*~  
  
Meanwhile the knights had their hands full. Killermari grabbed and threw them with his tentacles and spat ink at them.  
  
"I'm not gonna be beat by a piece of sushi in my first battle!" said Uranus Knight.  
  
"Allow me to assist you." said Neptune Knight.  
  
"URANUS STONE HAMMER!"  
  
His hammer's head changed from gold to stone gray as he struck Killermari.  
  
"NEPTUNE HYDRO JAVELIN!"  
  
Water surrounded the head of the trident as he threw it, after it struck it teleported back to Neptune Knight.  
  
Killermari has harmed by the attacks but kept on fighting.  
  
"Maybe this will stop you!" said Moon Knight.  
  
"LUNAR SABER CUT!"  
  
Killermari was separated from Jean and his nightmare stone was shattered. "Now we have to find a way to get the Scouts out of that energy shield."  
  
Just then two voices shouted out.  
  
"URANUS MUDSLIDE BURIAL!"  
  
"NEPTUNE PIERCING RAIN!"  
  
A wave of mud hit the energy shield and at the same time a ball of water appeared above it and drops of rain fell from it.  
  
The shield collapsed and shown the others were still holding up against Aquila. "What?" said Aquila.  
  
They looked at the direction of the attacks and saw two girls both with blue hair and blue eyes wearing scout uniforms. One had her hair done up into a ponytail and wore a yellow uniform with a navy ribbon. The other's hair came down to her shoulders and a blue uniform the color of sea water and a dark blue ribbon. "I am Sailor Mini-Uranus!" said the one in the yellow uniform.  
  
"And I am Sailor Mini-Neptune!" said the other.  
  
"I should have tried to make my shield stronger." said Aquila. "But losing here just brings us one step closer to victory." She then teleported away.  
  
"I think I lost my appetite." said Prim.  
  
"Check please!" said Axel. Then they also vanished. At the same time police sirens were heard.  
  
"We better leave before they get here, we don't wanna take the blame for this." said Sailor Moon surveying the damage.  
  
~*~  
  
Later they talked by a riverbank. "So you're the children of our future selves." said Walter.  
  
"Yes." said the girl who wore her hair down. "I'm the daughter of you and Michelle, my name is Hope."  
  
"And I'm Amara and Miguel's daughter, my name is Faith."  
  
"I could have sworn you were twins." said Miguel.  
  
"Not in the strictest sense." said Faith. "But we were born on the same day and we felt so close to each together that we made a pact that made us secret sisters."  
  
"And everyone just calls us twins back home." said Hope. "Well everyone except our parents." She got a little sad. "I miss how the three of us would play music together."  
  
"And I miss Mom and Dad watching me play baseball and soccer." said Faith.  
  
"Don't worry." said Serena. "We'll find a way to save the future for you and the others."  
  
"For now we better get home." said Darien.  
  
"You can stay with us." said Michelle.  
  
"Ok." said Hope. "And I'm glad you and Aunt Amara aren't fighting anymore."  
  
"Me too."  
  
"I just wish my mom's past self wasn't wearing a dress when we met." said Faith.  
  
"I'm just considering this a once in while thing." said Amara. "And who knows, someday..."  
  
"'Someday I'll probably meet a guy who will make me want to do girly stuff.' My mom says that every time I have to wear my princess dress or she and Dad are going to do something mushy."  
  
Serena laughed on the inside. "Hope and Faith are a lot like Michelle and Amara. Not only in how they act but how they treat each other. Like their mothers they were born cousins but at heart they're sisters."  
  
~*~  
  
Merlor meditated in his lab. "It won't be long now." He thought. "Soon the vault will be in our possession and then we only have to find the keys in order to unleash the most powerful force the universe has ever seen!"  
  
~*~  
  
Richforce: Is the Blackstar Empire on the verge of getting the vault? Stay tuned for further updates to find out!" 


	4. Shake Down

Richforce: I'm sorry for the delay, hope this chapter was well worth the wait as mysteries abound in this one. All characters belong to their respective owners.

Chapter Four: Shake Down

Serena sat on top of the roof of Angel Wing high; she was eating her lunch and flipping through an album. She turned a page and started laughing. "What's so funny?" asked Amy. She came up with Raye, Lita and Mina.

"Oh." said Serena. "I was looking through this album Rini brought back with her from the future."

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" asked Raye.

"It's not like it's anything we don't already know."

"Are you sure?" said Lita.

"Rini said it was alright."

"You still didn't say what was so funny." said Mina.

"This." Serena showed them the page she was looking at.

"How could you laugh at this?!" said Raye.

"These are our wedding pictures!" said Lita.

"This is very important!" said Mina. "Why would you laugh at this?!"

"You have a lot of gall!" said Amy.

"Sorry I just saw Amara in a wedding dress and couldn't help myself." She turned her attention to her own wedding picture. "Dreams really do come true." The others nodded their heads in agreement. "That's odd."

"What?"

"This one here it's nothing but a big blur."

"Maybe it's a bad photo that we couldn't throw away for some reason." said Mina.

Serena turned the page and they were all stunned; Amy was the first one to speak. "That's..."

"Us." said Raye.

"All of us." said Lita.

"And we're all..." said Mina.

"Pregnant." said Serena. "Very pregnant."

Sure enough there was a picture of them all older standing next to their husbands with very large bellies. "That's weird." said Lita.

"I'd say we all just entered the ninth month." said Amy.

"It's strange to see us all smiling like that." said Serena. "We all have stomachs the size of beach balls."

"Well strange as that is what's even weirder, as far as I'm concerned, is what's going to get us there." said Raye. "This means that all of us and the knights are going to have sex with each other."

"Well we're going to be married to them when we do so it's not that shocking." said Mina. "And now that I think about it we look pretty good pregnant, even Luna." She then pointed to the cat whose stomach expanded sideways and made her look like a squash.

"The only bad part is this blur next to me and Darien." said Serena as she pointed to the blur. "I don't know who that's supposed to be but there must have been sun in the camera or something."

"Wonder who it is?" said Amy.

Serena turned the page. "Awww. You guys have got to take a look at this! It's the girls as babies and they are so CUTE!"

They took a look at the pictures on the two pages; there were ten pictures nine of which were labeled with names. "Ohhh. They're precious!"

"Rini is so cute!" said Serena pointing to one picture. "Now I know why they call her small lady, she's so tiny."

"She is cute." said Raye. "But Annika here is a lot cuter."

"I disagree." said Mina. "Gloria may be a prankster now but here she is the cutest carrot top you've ever seen."

"Daisy is cuter then any of them." said Lita.

"Isn't it a little odd for us to argue over who has the cutest baby when they haven't been born yet." said Amy. "And besides Ariel makes it no contest. Though Madelyn is mentionable second."

"Maggie is also very cute." said Lita.

"I can't tell Hope and Faith apart without the labels." said Mina.

"Yes you can." said Raye. "Hope has that birthmark but not Faith."

"That's not a birthmark." said Serena. "That's a smudge on the photo."

"Look." said Amy. "Here's another picture but that's nothing but a big blur and there's no name. Wonder who keeps saving these?" she then turned the page.

"Hey look at this one." said Lita. She pointed at one picture that had what appeared to be five little balls of fur curled up next to each other.

"The kittens, they look so adorable!" said Serena. "They must have just been born; their eyes and ears haven't opened yet."

"Makes me fell sorry for all of them." said Mina. "Now they're all orphans."

"Not for long if we have anything to say about it!" said Raye.

The guys came up to the roof. "What are you all doing up here?" asked Greg.

"You've got to see this!" said Amy as they showed them the album.

Earlier that day at Sparrow Hill elementary Victor Harp's class sat down in homeroom. "We have a new student today everyone. Please give her your full attention."

A little girl with green eyes and short brown hair stepped up in front of the class. Rini noticed that she had a small olive colored locket that had a heart with cross inside on it. "That almost looks like one of our transformation lockets. Looks like that we may have a fan in this time."

"Hi!" said the girl in a voice that had pep all over it. "My name is Kaede!" (Pronounced kai-a-day) "And I'm going to join this class!"

"I think I just said that." said Victor.

"Oops." Kaede said with a giggle.

The class laughed at her as she took her seat. {There's something unusual about that girl.} Vega thought.

At lunch Rini sat down with the other Mini-Scouts. "I'm so glad that we're all back together! I can't imagine what my life would be like without you now." Daisy, Faith, Hope and Maggie had to go to different class from Rini and the others but after what had happened to them lately it wasn't that big of deal to them.

"I know that if we work together we can save our future!" said Annika. "And when we do I'm going to give Mama the biggest hug ever!"

"First thing I'm going to do when I get home is to apologize to my mom and dad and then listen to my music." said Gloria.

"I'm going to do a jigsaw puzzle." said Madelyn. "A hard one so Mom, Dad and me can do it together."

"I'm going to sit down with Mama in her rocking chair and we can read together." said Ariel.

"Well I'm going to help my mom to cook a real big dinner!" said Daisy.

"I'll wrestle with my dad!" said Faith.

"I want to go to one of Mom's concerts and one of Dad's plays!" said Hope.

"What about you Maggie?" said Daisy. "What the first thing you want to do when you get home?"

"Well I..." said Maggie but was interrupted before she could finish.

"Hi guys!" it was Kaede. "Mind if I sit here?"

"Oh great, it's the bubblehead." said Gloria.

"Gloria!" said Rini. "Don't mind her we'd like to have you."

"Thanks!" she sat down right next to Rini. "So what were you talking about?"

"We were talking about what we going to do when we got home from school." said Maggie. "I'm going to finish a sowing project Mom and I have been working on for a long time."

"Well I just want to be with my mom and dad." said Rini. "I don't care what we do."

"I'd like to help Mama in our garden." said Kaede.

"You grow flowers?" asked Daisy.

"And vegetables, though not since I came here."

"So where did you move from?" asked Rini. But before she could get an answer the whole lunchroom shook.

"Everyone, get under the tables!" shouted Victor.

Back on the rooftop Serena and the others were shook around and then fell to the floor. The quake ended a couple of minutes after it started. "Is everyone ok?" asked Amy.

"Yeah were fine over here." said Ken.

"Don't worry." said Serena. "My fall was broken by my butt, as usual."

Just then their Communicators went off. "Trista here, did you guys feel that earthquake?"

"Who didn't?" said Mina.

"Hotaru called from her father's class and she's fine, so are Amara and Michelle though it interrupted a race for Amara."

"Doesn't look like anyone was hurt." said Serena.

"Still we should check in on the girls, something about that quake wasn't natural."

Deep underground Prim and Axel coughed after being covered in soot. "My makeup, it's ruined!"

"Whoa, let's do that again!" said Axel.

"Do what again?" asked Aquila as she appeared. "I thought you were digging for the vault." Altair then screeched.

"We were." said Axel. "But then we ran into this wall the ingots couldn't get through. So I decided to use a plasma bomb to blow through the rock."

"Plasma bombs are used for combat against larger starships, not blasting through rock!"

"What's the big deal?"

"Pay close attention, this city is close to a fault line. Stress along these lines has been known to cause quakes. Do you know how much stress a plasma bomb this close to the fault can cause!?"

"Like, ok." said Prim. "But it's going to take a while for us to find it."

"Scorpio is already getting a nightmare that Merlor said would be a great digger. The vault is as good as ours now."

At a construction site Rebecca, or Becky as the guys on the jobsite called her, had just started her lunch break. "Nothin' like a burger after workin' on the high steel." She said to herself. "Good thing no one was hurt durin' the quake." She had no idea that Scorpio was nearby.

"NIGHTMARE GO!"

Rebecca became a woman that wore a hardhat and had construction equipment for parts of her body. "Heavytools at your service!" she said.

"Excellent." said Scorpio. Suddenly he felt a strange jolt. "You go ahead and find the vault; I have something to investigate."

Toward the end of the day everyone had started to relax after the earthquake. As Serena stepped out she heard Molly call her name. "Serena!"

"Oh, hey Molly how have you've been?"

"Worried. I couldn't find you at lunch during that quake."

"I wasn't in the lunch room, I was on the roof."

"Doing what?"

"Just hanging out with my friends."

"I'm worried about you. You spend time with friends I hardly know, you have these strange meetings about something you don't want anyone else to know about and you disappear without explanation; it's like I hardly know you anymore."

"I'm not doing drugs if that's what you think!"

"No, but lately I only see you at homeroom or gym class. Did I do something to make you angry?"

"I'm not angry with you it's just..."

"Molly?" it was Melvin who actually started to look normal after getting contact lens for his green eyes. "Don't we have a study date?"

"I'll be right there!" said Molly who then turned to Serena. "We'll talk about this later. Melvin wait up!"" She then left.

Serena felt worried. "Molly you're still important to me. I'm so sorry that my scout duties have taken a lot more of my time than I would have wanted, but we'll always be friends no matter what." She said as she looked at her little finger.

[Flashback]

Serena and Molly were in kindergarten. They were sitting on top of a jungle gym. "Molly you're my best friend."

"And you're my best friend too."

"Pinkie swear?"

"Sure."

They curled their little fingers around the others. "We'll always be friends no matter what!"

[End flashback]

As Serena reminisced Scorpio looked after the whole scene played out. "Maybe I could do something to prevent this threat I sensed. This should prove to be amusing!"

That night a bigger quake woke Serena up when it shook her out of the bed. "Ow!"

Serena then heard a muffled voice. "Get off of me!"

Serena got up and saw the crushed looking cat that was underneath her. "Sorry Luna." Her communicator then went off.

"It's Amy; I can safely assume that you were waked up by the aftershock."

"Yes you can." said Luna.

"That seemed bigger than the last quake." said Serena.

"Which leads me to believe that it isn't natural." said Amy. "I've located the epicenter, we'll meet you there."

"On my way!"

"MOON INFINITY POWER!"

[Dream sequence]

Molly was in her pajamas in a savannah at night. She quickly found herself surrounded by wild animals when a lion stepped up to her. She was bracing herself to be eaten when the Lion spoke to her. "The dark one will soon be found. Both you and your love must be ready to sound the call to defend this world."

"What, I don't understand."

"We wild things will lend you our power when you both truly awaken."

[End dream sequence]

Molly woke up. "That's it, no more hot fudge and marshmallow sundaes before bedtime."

In an abandoned warehouse (I know its cliché but you can't go wrong with the classics.) Ingots guarded the tunnel to the vault. Suddenly the door was knocked down and the whole team was behind it. "How dare you endanger innocent people with earthquakes!? I am Sailor Moon and on behalf of the moon I will punish you!"

Surprisingly one of the ingots spoke. "This is an excavation for the Blackstar Empire. Noncompliant intruders will be eliminated." It said in a robotic voice.

"They're brimming with personality." said Sailor Jupiter.

"Get ready!" said Pluto Knight.

"Cause here we go!" said Mini-Venus.

Down in the tunnel Aquila heard sounds of a battle overhead. "Heavytools come with me, you two keep digging! We're so close to the vault I can smell it!"

"Hard not to with that nose." said Prim.

"I heard that!"

The last Ingot was destroyed and everyone was exhausted. "Well, I say we redecorated this place nicely," said Sailor Mars as she stepped on the shattered remains of an Ingot. "All we need now is a few throw rugs some curtains and we have a new hangout.

"You're the ones who are going to be hung, out to dry!" said Aquila as she came out with Heavytools.

"Its demolition time!" said Heavytools.

"Outers take care of the Nightmare, We'll handle Aquila!"

As the fight began, Heavytools attacked with a drill from her arm. "Hope I don't bore you!" She then changed it into a wreaking ball. "Cause we're having a ball!" then it became a blowtorch. "I'm just getting warmed up!"

"I don't know what's worse." said Uranus Knight. "Her attacks or her puns."

"Let's try bringing it together." said Sailor Pluto.

"URANUS TECTONIC UPHEAVAL!"

"URANUS STONE HAMMER!"

"URANUS MUD SLIDE!"

"NEPTUNE OCEANIC MAELSTROM!"

"NEPTUNE HYDRO JAVELIN!"

"NEPTUNE PIERCING RAIN!"

"PLUTO FURIOUS CYCLONE!"

"PLUTO TYPHOON BOOMERANG!"

"PLUTO GUSTY BREEZE!"

"SATURN SHADOW STRIKE!"

"SATURN DARK CHAIN!"

"SATURN NIGHTSHADE ENVELOP!"

Heavytools was separated from Becky and was shattered.

Meanwhile the fight with Aquila wasn't going so smoothly.

"LIGHTSPEED BATTALION! AIR SLICE!"

"There's no way we're going to win if she keeps this up!" said Sailor Venus.

"Then we have to keep her from doing It." said Sailor Mercury. She went to a damaged part of the warehouse. "Over here!"

"You have a death wish I see!" Aquila said with her usual haughty laugh. She narrowly missed Sailor Mercury and tried to go after her when she noticed her foot was caught in some rubble. "What?!"

"Just as I planned."

"Who's laughing now?" said Sailor Moon as they all got ready.

"MOON POWER!"

"MERCURY POWER!"

"MARS POWER!"

"JUPITER POWER!"

"VENUS POWER!"

"SAILOR PLANET ATTACK!"

Aquila struggled to get free but couldn't. Before the attack hit, Altair flew into it stopping from hitting Aquila. "ALTAIR!"

The Eagle screeched at it was disintegrating. What Aquila didn't notice was that at the same time Sailor Moon and Moon Knight were mysteriously weakened. "Ugh!" although the attack destroyed Altair it did little more than knock Aquila loose.

"What happened?" asked Mini-Jupiter.

"I don't know." said Sailor Moon. "I just felt weak all of the sudden."

"You!" said Aquila. "I'll never forgive for this! Altair, my soul mate..."

"After all the people you hurt you care more about that stupid bird!" yelled Sailor Mars.

"I don't care if you destroy me now, but you will pay!"

Down in the tunnel Prim and Axel dug faster. "Almost there..." said Prim.

Axel's shovel hit something and a dark glow came from the wall. "I think we hit the honey pot!" said Axel.

Another quake hit as the Scouts and Knights were preparing another attack. "Not again!" said Neptune Knight.

Then Prim and Axel levitated up from the tunnel with a massive stone disk with bizarre carvings on it. In the center was a carving of a sinister female face. "We found it Aquila!" said Prim.

"Yeah, let's take the vault and boogie on out of here!" said Axel.

"What is that?" said Mini-Moon.

"The beginning of the end." said Aquila. "Your end!" Then the three vanished.

"I don't know what this is about but it can only be bad." said Sailor Moon.

Back at the Blackstar Fortress the vault was placed in Vega's throne room. "I don't believe it." said Merlor. "You actually did something right. At long last I can see the Vault of Astra with my own eyes!"

"Let's party!" said Prim and Axel.

But Vega chose that moment to arrive. "Merlor I told you that unauthorized excursions would not be tolerated."

"A thousand apologies, but we found it!"

"The Vault?" said Vega as he came closer to it. "At long last my dream will soon be realized!" as he touched it he felt a flash of dark energy in his mind and an image of Astra appeared for a split second.

"My lord; are you alright?"

"I have to lie down. I think you better keep it in your lab until we can open it." Vega then went to his room.

"Aquila, we must now prepare to search for the eight keys. I'll conduct research and see what you and Scorpio can find out."

After Merlor left with Prim, Axel and the vault, Scorpio went up to Aquila. "You seem distracted."

"They will pay for what they have done to Altair."

"Keep your mind on the task at hand."

"What about you? You seem preoccupied with something yourself."

"I sensed a disturbance around a girl. She could still pose a threat to us but I'm taking measures to make sure that she doesn't."

Richforce: Will Merlor find the keys? What was happening to Sailor Moon and Moon Knight? And what does Scorpio want with Molly? The answers to these and more questions will only be answered if you keep reading.


	5. Showdowns and Subterfuge

Richforce: Hopefully by the time you read this I'll be completely moved in. All characters belong to their respective owners.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter five: Showdowns and Subterfuge  
  
Serena walked into homeroom before class, something that had started to become a common occurrence with her. "Hey Elizabeth, have you seen Molly today?"  
  
"Not yet." said Elizabeth. "I really think you should explain why you've seem to be ducking Molly lately."  
  
"You have that part time job at the arcade right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well I have something like that going on."  
  
"Is it important work?"  
  
"You wouldn't believe how important."  
  
Molly and Melvin came into the room. "...If you really feel that way then maybe we should think about It." said Melvin.  
  
"Think about what?"  
  
"This dream I had night before last." said Molly. "I was in an African savannah, all these animals surrounded me and then this Lion talked to me."  
  
"What did it say?"  
  
"In nutshell, it said that a great evil would soon be found and that Melvin and I would have to do something about it."  
  
"Really?" Serena said realizing that it was the same night the Blackstar found the vault they were looking for.  
  
"Yeah, crazy huh? That the two of us could fight evil like Sailor Moon does?"  
  
"I wouldn't rule it out."  
  
"Especially since my kendo lessons have been going well!" said Melvin pretending to swing a kendo stick.  
  
"Ha-Ha." The bell rang just then. "We'll talk after school at the arcade ok?"  
  
"Alright." said Molly. "You promise you'll be there?"  
  
Serena curled her little finger around Molly's. "No matter what!"  
  
"No matter what!"  
  
~*~  
  
In the Blackstar fortress Prim and Axel were carrying a large stack of books toward Merlor's lab. "Now here is something I thought I'd never see." said Aquila. "The two of you with books."  
  
"Like Uncle Merlor asked us to get these so he could find out more about the keys." said Prim.  
  
"Care to give us a hand?" asked Axel.  
  
"No thanks, I have something to do."  
  
"Does it have something to do with you getting revenge on the Sailor Scouts for frying your chicken?" said Prim.  
  
Aquila became furious. "Altair was more to me than a pet! He was my companion and partner, and they will pay for taking him from me!"  
  
"Can you at least get Scorpio to help us?" asked Axel.  
  
"I asked him for help but he said he had 'pressing concerns'. No matter I can destroy them myself!" Aquila left.  
  
"Prim! Axel!" said Merlor. "Where are those books?!"  
  
They struggled to the lab before the books toppled over and buried Merlor.  
  
~*~  
  
At lunch Serena sat with the scouts on the roof. Ami checked her computer. "From my scans I can confirm that the vault they were looking for..." The girls edged closer. "Is a big stone slab with some writing on it." The girls fell down.  
  
"That's it?!" they said.  
  
"I'm sorry, but if the Nightmares were looking for a type of energy my computer couldn't detect then I doubted it would help us figure out what it was."  
  
"So we're right back were we started." said Lita.  
  
"Maybe not." said Raye. "We can tell that since it's a vault it was made either to keep people out or to keep something in."  
  
"Doesn't sound good either way." said Mina.  
  
The guys came up with Darien; Serena was pleasantly surprised to see him. "What are you doing here? Not that I'm complaining."  
  
Darien had a glum expression on his face. "I'm sorry."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Greg found out the reason for our loss of energy in our last fight. And in a way it's my fault."  
  
"How?"  
  
"When I got the ring from your locket I stopped using energy from the earth and started using energy from the moon and the Silver Crystal. It seems that the two energies, earth and moon, have become one but because only the power of the moon has grown stronger it has caused an imbalance."  
  
"Darien there was no way we could have known that this would have happened."  
  
"It gets worse." said Greg. "Unless we can separate the two powers, we could lose them both forever."  
  
"So what do we need to do?" asked Amy.  
  
"We need to find someone to take the earth power from the both of you." said Chad.  
  
"Like an energy transplant." said Raye.  
  
"Yes, exactly." said Ken.  
  
"So who did you have in mind?" asked Mina.  
  
"We don't know." said Jamie.  
  
"We better talk about this with Luna and Artemis after school." said Lita.  
  
"I was going to talk with Molly after school." said Serena.  
  
"I'm sorry but we have to figure out what we have to do and fast." said Raye.  
  
"You won't have time to do much, except plan your funerals!" said Aquila. They all saw a hologram of her in the sky.  
  
"Great now everyone knows who we are!" said Lita.  
  
"No." said Amy. "This has happened before; she made it so that we're the only ones who can see it."  
  
"I didn't want anyone interrupting our battle."  
  
"Battle?!" asked Mina.  
  
"You can't stop us now that we found the vault and I want to settle our score once and for all!"  
  
"We'll face you!" said Serena.  
  
"Fine then, midnight at the docks, pier 47 and bring all your little friends. My revenge will not be complete without them! Don't be late!" she then vanished.  
  
"We'll get them, but we will destroy you!" she was so worried about what Aquila could do if they didn't fight that she forgot about her meeting with Molly completely.  
  
~*~  
  
Molly felt very hurt and angry as she was walking home. "I've waited till closing time for you Serena, but you never showed up!" she looked at her little finger. "You even used our friendship pact from when we were little!" she shrugged it off. "No, I'm sure you had some good explanation. I'll just have to wait to hear it...again."  
  
She came up to the front of the store her mother ran from their home and saw a brown haired girl looking through the window at the jewelry. "So pretty..." the girl said.  
  
"Find something you like?" Molly asked.  
  
When the girl turned around Molly saw she had green eyes if it weren't for that she could have sworn she was looking at herself at eight. "A lot of things, but I don't have enough money to buy anything. Oh I'm sorry, my name is Kaede."  
  
"I'm Molly. It's nice to meet you." She saw the locket Kaede wore. "I've never seen a locket like that before."  
  
"Mama gave it to me. She used to take me jewelry shopping when I was really good."  
  
"Used to?" Kaede started to cry. "Oh, I didn't mean to make you upset."  
  
She wiped the tears away with her arm. "It's ok."  
  
"You can come inside and look around."  
  
"No thanks it's getting late, I have to be going."  
  
"Come by some time and I can show you some of our best jewels!"  
  
After Molly went in and Kaede walked off for a little ways she started talking to herself. {Molly, why does that name sound familiar?}  
  
~*~  
  
Everyone gathered at pier 47. "It's almost midnight." said Mini-Venus straightening her hair bow. "When is she going to get here?"  
  
"She's sure to be here." said Sailor Uranus. "I can feel it."  
  
All of the Mini-Scouts were yawning. "Looks like some scouts aren't used to being up past their bed time yet." said Sailor Neptune.  
  
"But were not..." said Mini-Saturn before she stopped to yawn. "A bit sleepy."  
  
"Yeah right." said Saturn Knight. "Straight to bed after this is over."  
  
Sailor Moon talked to the outer scouts. "You guys have changed your perspectives around. None of you seem willing to sacrifice anyone."  
  
"Well since we found our princes and found out that we're going to be mothers, we started looking at things little differently." said Sailor Pluto. "You were right, everyone is important, no one has the right to take the life of an innocent, no matter what the circumstances."  
  
"And were you thinking about that when you destroyed Altair?" said Aquila as she appeared.  
  
"If you remember correctly your bird threw itself in front of our attack to save you! So if any one is to blame it's you!" said Sailor Moon.  
  
"Enough! I'm going destroy you!"  
  
"You can't handle all of us! We had you beat last time!"  
  
"Last time, because of space constraints I wasn't able to do this!"  
  
"DARK EVOLUTION!"  
  
Aquila became a giant eagle with a pair of horns and a woman's face on its stomach. "Now to take flight and exact my revenge!" she said from her eagle head as the face on her stomach had a wicked expression.  
  
~*~  
  
Molly had trouble getting to sleep; all she could think about was what she could have done to make Serena distance herself from her. "What happened to us? I thought that we would be best friends forever."  
  
Scorpio stayed out of sight probing her mind. {This should be easy enough. I don't know what threat you pose and your boyfriend pose, but neither do you.} He got every thing he needed and then spoke. "I want to thank you."  
  
Molly sat up. "Who's there?!"  
  
Scorpio stepped out of the shadows. "I was a friend of Nephrite, my name is Scorpio."  
  
Molly got out of bed at the name of the Negaverse warrior who had feelings for her before his death; she couldn't remember him until now. "You knew Nephrite?"  
  
"Yes we worked together; his act of defiance inspired me. I realized that the queen was insane with ambition and jealousy, so I fled and when she was defeated my life was spared."  
  
Molly blushed. "Well you're welcome."  
  
Scorpio smiled under his mask. {Just as planed.} he thought. {Butter up her ego first and then she'll believe anything you say.}  
  
~*~  
  
"FEATHER KNIVES!"  
  
Aquila fired razor sharp feathers from her wings. They barely managed to avoid them.  
  
"Talk about a close shave!" said Mars Knight.  
  
"She's coming around again!" said Sailor Mercury.  
  
"FEATHER KNIVES!"  
  
Again they barely managed to escape.  
  
"Let's hit her with our best shot!" said Sailor Moon.  
  
"MOON POWER!"  
  
"MERCURY POWER!"  
  
"MARS POWER!"  
  
"JUPITER POWER!"  
  
"VENUS POWER!"  
  
"SAILOR PLANET ATTACK!"  
  
Sailor Moon and Moon Knight were weakened again so the attack knocked Aquila back, but it didn't do anything more other than daze her.  
  
"Not even your strongest attack can harm me now!" said Aquila.  
  
"Were going to die and it's entirely my fault!" said Moon Knight.  
  
"No." said Sailor Moon. "There has to be way to beat her!"  
  
~*~  
  
"You know with all this happening to me I really should tell Serena about It." said Molly. "Even though she'd never believe me."  
  
"And why wouldn't she if she's your friend?" said Scorpio. {Now to break the bond they share!} he thought.  
  
"Well, it IS a little outlandish."  
  
"That wouldn't matter if she was your friend."  
  
"Um, well..."  
  
"If she was really your friend, she would believe you and keep her promises."  
  
"How did you..."  
  
"I have my ways of knowing things. It looks to me like your friendship is a little one-sided."  
  
"But we are friends; we have been ever since we were five." Molly said as she looked at a picture of Serena and her at Molly's sixth birthday."  
  
"People change, like Nephrite and I did, but sometimes that change is for the worse. Maybe she doesn't want to be your friend anymore."  
  
"No..."  
  
"Like children who grow up and become bored with old toys, some people forsake old friendships for new ones."  
  
"Is that it? She thinks she's out grown me? That she wants to leave me behind?"  
  
"Friendship, loyalty, comrades. Fine sounding words but in the end that's all they are. Words, delusions." He turned to leave. "In the end the only one you can count on is yourself." Scorpio left thinking to himself. {I am such a good liar!}  
  
~*~  
  
"None of you will live past this night!" said Aquila. "You will all die very painful deaths!"  
  
"You know what your problem is?" said Mercury Knight. "You talk too much!"  
  
"There has to be way to beat her!" said Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"I got it!" said Sailor Venus. "Maybe the scouts and knights of the outer worlds can help us form a stronger planet attack!"  
  
The scouts of the outer worlds looked at each other. "It's worth a shot." said Sailor Saturn. The others nodded in agreement.  
  
Sailor Moon felt a new confidence her. "Let's show her what we all can really do!"  
  
"MOON POWER!"  
  
"MERCURY POWER!"  
  
"MARS POWER!"  
  
"JUPITER POWER!"  
  
"VENUS POWER!"  
  
"URANUS POWER!"  
  
"NEPTUNE POWER!"  
  
"PLUTO POWER!"  
  
"SATURN POWER!"  
  
The face on Aquila's stomach had shocked expression. "What is this?!" she said from her bird head. "Even with those two still weakened this attack seems stronger than ever!"  
  
"SAILOR PLANET ATTACK!"  
  
The attack hit Aquila and spun her into the sea, a pillar of blue light with four smaller ones spiraling around it shot up from where she sank.  
  
"We did it!" said Venus Knight.  
  
"We all did it." said Sailor Moon. "There are no inner or outer scouts anymore and there are no longer any inner or outer knights. We are one team, one family."  
  
"But I guess that you kids knew that all along didn't you?" said Moon Knight. But they didn't answer; they were all fast asleep out of exhaustion.  
  
~*~  
  
"And though it's obvious that Aquila attacked out of grief." said Vega. "It is a loss to us."  
  
"Hopefully not a critical one." said Merlor.  
  
"I must retire, good night."  
  
"I wasn't too fond of Aquila either." said Scorpio.  
  
"Where in the world have you been?!" Merlor angrily.  
  
"Forgive me, I sensed a threat to us in a girl and took steps to stop it."  
  
"Vega won't be too happy."  
  
"She's unharmed; in fact I think I did her favor. Hu-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha- Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha."  
  
~*~  
  
Molly took the birthday picture and put it back on the table so the back was all she could see. "From now on I'll only count on myself and maybe Melvin." She then went to sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
Richforce: Why is Scorpio so interested in Molly and what is Kaede's story? Answers in the next chapter! 


	6. Roar of the Earth

Richforce: Well I'm all moved in to my new house so I'll hopefully be updating more often. All charters belong to their respective owners.  
  
###  
  
Chapter six: Roar of the Earth  
  
In the Blackstar fortress Merlor was speaking with Scorpio. "Are you sure she no longer poses a threat to us?"  
  
"I have to continue checking on her but I am fairly certain I handled it."  
  
Prim came in crying followed by Axel.  
  
"I thought that you weren't that close to Aquila." said Merlor.  
  
"It's not Aquila, its George." said Axel.  
  
"I don't know any George."  
  
"Her pet goldfish; she found him doing the backstroke this morning, only he wasn't stroking anymore."  
  
"Anyway it's time we started looking for the keys. Here is our next target." He conjured an image of a bald old man with a white beard and moustache. "Take a nightmare stone and find the keys, Scorpio will help you."  
  
"Sorry." said Scorpio. "I have bigger fish to fry." Prim's crying got worse.  
  
"And while you're at it get her another pet!"  
  
###  
  
Serena was talking to Melvin during gym as the class was running laps. "So you had a dream too."  
  
"Yeah, it was almost exactly like the one Molly had."  
  
"So both of you are now dreaming about savannahs and talking lions."  
  
"No in my dream it was in a jungle and with a talking tiger."  
  
"Maybe it's just because you were thinking about her dream so much."  
  
Molly ran up. "Hi Melvin let's both pick up the pace for a while."  
  
"Why do we have to? It would just be more work for us." said Serena.  
  
"I didn't say you had to. But maybe now you would know what it feels like to be left behind!" Molly snapped.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean? Oh! I totally forgot about our meeting at arcade, I'm sorry!"  
  
"Seems you've been forgetting a lot of things lately, like our friendship bond!"  
  
"No I've never forgot about it! It's just that... I have these responsibilities now."  
  
"I know how it is, you made new friends and you don't want to be my friend anymore!"  
  
"It's not like that at all!"  
  
"Then why am I not invited to your meetings or those group dates you seem to be having now?!"  
  
"It's complicated."  
  
"And you don't think I can understand it?!"  
  
"No but, how can I put this gently, I'm sorry to say that you simply don't belong."  
  
"Don't belong? Don't belong?!" Molly then lunged at Serena and the two started to fight. Melvin tried to break it up.  
  
"Will you two stop it?!"  
  
The coach blew his whistle. "Collins, Baker, McDougal! The three of you drop and give me fifty!"  
  
"But coach..."  
  
"Sixty!"  
  
"I was just trying to..."  
  
"Seventy! Talk back to me again and I'll have you do so many pushups you'll be unable to unbend your arms for a week!"  
  
The three dropped to the ground and started doing pushups.  
  
###  
  
After school a meeting was held at the shrine. "From what we can determine Aquila's energy accelerated the imbalance between the earth and moon powers." said Amy.  
  
"So how long do you think we have?" asked Darien.  
  
"Two weeks or one battle, whichever comes first."  
  
"We've got to find someone to take the earth power, and fast." said Lita.  
  
"But how are we going to do that?" said Ken.  
  
"Any suggestions would be welcome." said Amy.  
  
"I got it!" said Luna. "I remember that back in the Silver Millennium Darien had a twin sister."  
  
"A sister?!" said Darien.  
  
"Yes, if she was sent to the present. She would be able to handle the earth power."  
  
"But for all we know she could be on the other side of planet." said Mina.  
  
"I have an idea!" said Rini. "It's a little bit of a long shot and I have to check it out but I may have clue as to where she is."  
  
"Then go check it out!" said Luna. "We have to take every chance we have."  
  
Artemis then spoke to Serena. "You seem distracted."  
  
"Oh, sorry. It's just that Molly and I got into a big fight, she thinks I don't want to be her friend anymore."  
  
"Do you still want to be her friend?"  
  
"Yes, but this whole Blackstar incident has forced me to sacrifice a lot of time with her."  
  
"Well since you should avoid fighting until we find the earth princess, I say you have some time to make up for it."  
  
"You're right! I'll take Darien and we can have double date!" She then left for Molly's with Darien.  
  
###  
  
Molly went into her room in a very bad mood. "If she's going to forget about me, then I'll forget about her!" she took the birthday picture on her night stand and threw it in a cardboard box. "I'll just get rid of all the stuff that reminds me of her! Like this Sailor V game, this Destined Fire CD, this..."  
  
Her mother then came into the room. "Moving out?"  
  
"I'm just getting rid of all the junk that reminds me of my ex-best friend!"  
  
"Then you'll have an empty room." Molly's mother then picked up the birthday picture. "I remember when I took this. I asked you why it was so important for me to take a picture of you and Serena and you said 'She made me feel better after daddy went to heaven and we promised we would be friends forever. This picture would be the best birthday present ever.'"  
  
"I really said all that?"  
  
"A friend like that doesn't come along everyday; you should try to forgive each other."  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"You better get going, you promised Melvin you would pick him up from his kendo classes and I'll put this stuff back."  
  
"Ok."  
  
###  
  
Kaede was staring at a pond in the park when she saw Rini's reflection walk up behind hers. "We met before didn't we, in Crystal Tokyo?"  
  
Kaede turned around. "Yes, we're best friends."  
  
"So your mother must be Sailor Earth, my Aunt."  
  
"Yes, I miss her and Papa a lot. Everyone calls me a bubblehead so I thought I was dumb, but Mama and Papa said I just don't take enough time to think before I do."  
  
"My memories about them and you are still a little fuzzy; can you tell me their names?"  
  
"I met Mom but I didn't recognize her at first, you know that when you get used to calling your parents Mama and Papa you have a hard time thinking of them as anything else."  
  
"Please tell me."  
  
"Their names are Molly and Melvin."  
  
"They're friends of Serena! We got to tell her!"  
  
"We can't let them know yet! Mama and Papa told me not to tell them about who they're going to be."  
  
"If we don't they may never be awakened at all and we need all the help we can get to protect our future."  
  
Kaede touched her locket. "It doesn't work now. I think it's because the earth power isn't drawing strength from its true source."  
  
"True source?"  
  
"Each planet represents a force of the universe that helps increase its power. Moon is the heart, Mercury is ice, Mars is fire, Jupiter is lightning, Venus is light, Uranus is stone, Neptune is water, Saturn is darkness, and Pluto is the wind. Earth is supposed to represent the wilds; we are supposed to get our powers from wild animals and other living things."  
  
"But when Darien was Tuxedo Mask he didn't seem to have powers like that."  
  
"That's because he drew power from the earth but not from the wilds."  
  
"So in order to correct the imbalance we have to get the earth power to reconnect to its source. We have to find Darien and Serena."  
  
The two left together.  
  
###  
  
Melvin was trading blows with his kendo master Koji Imamura; he was a bald man with a white beard and moustache. He had a great deal of respect for the old man and tried his best to be a good student for him. "Enough!" said Koji. "That will be all for today. You have improved a great deal since you first came here."  
  
"Thank you master Imamura. I wanted to have a non-academic skill on my college application; I didn't think I'd enjoy it so much."  
  
"Melvin!" said Molly as she came in.  
  
"Oh, that's my ride! I'll see you on Tuesday!" Koji left.  
  
"So we're on for dinner tonight?"  
  
Serena and Darien came in. "Hey Molly!" said Serena.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"Your mom told me that you'd be here picking Melvin up for a date and we thought we could join you."  
  
"Join us?"  
  
"I'm sorry that I've let a lot of stuff get in the way of our friendship, I want us to have a fresh start."  
  
"She's lying!" said Scorpio as he appeared. "She betrayed you!"  
  
Serena noticed the Blackstar emblem on his robes. "Molly, Melvin, stay away from him; he's dangerous!"  
  
"See, she's lying about me. I am just as much your friend as I was Nephrite's."  
  
"Molly what is he talking about?" asked Melvin.  
  
"What's with all this shouting?" said Koji. He then reached for a wooden sword when he saw Scorpio. "You! Leave this place at once!"  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"The blood of a samurai runs through my veins; I recognize you for what you are, spawn of evil!"  
  
"Yet more character attacks."  
  
Just then Prim and Axel came in. "Hey Scorpio!" said Prim.  
  
Scorpio had a sweat drop "I've never met you before in my life."  
  
"Come on!" said Axel. "We all work for the evil Blackstar Empire!"  
  
"What?!" said Molly.  
  
"You idiots, you ruined everything!" said Scorpio.  
  
"I trusted you. Nephrite trusted you."  
  
"Actually, I've never met him. But allow me to truly introduce myself. I am Scorpio, darkness warrior of deception and member of the Black Vanguard."  
  
"I knew it!" said Serena.  
  
"You shall now face me!" said Koji.  
  
"You intend to fight me with a wooden sword?" said Scorpio. "Axel why don't you give him what's coming to him?"  
  
"NIGHTMARE GO!"  
  
"Master Imamura!" said Melvin.  
  
Koji became a samurai with covered in black body armor and a helmet with two swords that crackled with electricity. "Prepare to face the skill and power of Raidenmaru!" the nightmare said.  
  
"Now destroy them." said Scorpio.  
  
"We have to do something!" said Serena.  
  
"But if we..." said Darien.  
  
"I'd rather lose my powers than my friend."  
  
"Well if we have to out we'll go out with a bang!"  
  
"MOON INFINITY POWER!"  
  
"MOON REGAL POWER!"  
  
Both Molly and Melvin were shocked at what they saw. "Serena is Sailor Moon?!" said Melvin.  
  
"It all makes sense now." said Molly. "I should have seen it before, the hair alone should have been a dead give away. I've been such a jerk!"  
  
Raidenmaru just laughed. "You plan to face me with your powers weakened? You shall fall before my superior swordsmanship!"  
  
"And I shall aide you." said Scorpio.  
  
"PSYCHO BOMB!"  
  
He launched a purple orb of mental energy at them, they were then severely injured.  
  
"No!" cried Molly. "My best friend is going to die and it's all my fault!"  
  
"Molly, your forehead, it's glowing!" said Melvin.  
  
Moon Knight looked over at her and saw a brown light coming from her forehead that took the shape of a heart with a cross inside it. "I recognize it. The symbol of the earth!"  
  
"What?!" said Scorpio. "I knew that you posed some kind of threat but I never realized that you were one of them!"  
  
A brown pillar of light then shone up from the floor of the dojo. "Molly listen to me!" said Sailor Moon. "We have to enter that pillar of light!"  
  
"Yes, Melvin we have to go in."  
  
"Ok."  
  
They leapt in as Raidenmaru slashed at them.  
  
Inside the pillar of light there was man with a black beard who wore majestic brown robes he held a brown locket and a ring with a brown stone both with the earth symbol on it. "My son and daughter I am so proud that you have both awakened to your destinies."  
  
"Who are you?" said Molly.  
  
"I am Endymion the King of Elysia, of the planet earth. In another life you and Darien were once brother and sister and I was your father."  
  
"A princess, I'm a princess."  
  
"Father..." said Moon Knight.  
  
"My son, do not feel that you have betrayed us by using the power of the Moon, it was your destiny to do so, just as it is destiny that my daughter and her beloved use the power of the earth."  
  
"Molly I can understand but why me?" asked Melvin.  
  
"Because you were to wed to her in that other life. Take these with my blessings, when you use them the earth power will connect to its true source and you can then use the powers of the wilds to protect the earth from the Dark Foe."  
  
"I want to make it up to Serena and I can see no better way of doing that than fighting along side her." said Molly as she and Melvin took the locket and ring.  
  
"EARTH ASTRAL POWER!"  
  
"EARTH NOBLE POWER!"  
  
As they changed they were surrounded by rose petals. Sailor Earth's uniform was brown with an olive colored ribbon and a pair of brown trimmed white boots. Earth Knight's armor was also brown.  
  
###  
  
As the Pillar of light faded Scorpio saw what had happened. "So this planet now wishes to defend itself on equal footing with the others of this insignificant star system."  
  
"Scorpio!" said Sailor Earth. "You thought you could prevent our awakening through lying and trickery?!"  
  
"We won't stand for it anymore!" said Earth Knight.  
  
"You fight a hopeless battle!" said Scorpio. "I won't even bother attacking you. Raidenmaru, finish the job!" Scorpio, Prim and Axel then vanished.  
  
Raidenmaru leapt at them almost hitting them both.  
  
"Call your Talismans!" said Sailor Moon.  
  
They tried but nothing happened. "Come on work already!" said Earth Knight.  
  
"They can't control the astral power!" said Moon Knight.  
  
"Prepare to meet your ancestors!" yelled Raidenmaru.  
  
"MOON GLOWING STARBURST!"  
  
"EARTH SAVAGE SCRATCH!"  
  
A girl with brown hair and green eyes in an olive colored uniform with a brown ribbon appeared her hand glowed green as she swung it hitting Raidenmaru in the back.  
  
"Who dares attack me from behind?!"  
  
"We do!" said Sailor Mini-Moon. "Sailor Mini-Moon!"  
  
"And Sailor Mini-Earth!" said the other mini scout. "You won't beat us that easily!"  
  
"We'll see!" said Raidenmaru.  
  
Sailor Earth and Earth Knight calmed their minds in their hands appeared two daggers and a beautiful brass horn.  
  
"These must be our Talismans." said Sailor Earth. "Might as well give them a test run."  
  
"EARTH TWIN FANGS!"  
  
The daggers glowed in brown as Earth knight made an over head swing with them.  
  
"EARTH FEROCIOUS ROAR!"  
  
She blew into the horn and out came a sound wave that took the shape of a roaring lion's head. Raidenmaru was knocked back unconscious.  
  
"You've picked the wrong day to mess with us!" said Sailor Moon.  
  
"MOON MAGNUM STARBEAM!"  
  
Raidenmaru was separated from Koji and was destroyed.  
  
"Serena, I mean Sailor Moon..." Sailor Earth started to say.  
  
"There's no need to apologize, he's probably known as the darkness warrior of deception for a reason."  
  
"But I still doubted you."  
  
"First we better make sure that mister Imamura will be ok then I'll explain every thing to you."  
  
"We are still friends right?"  
  
Sailor Moon curled her little finger around Sailor Earth's. "No matter what!"  
  
"No matter what!"  
  
###  
  
"Ok we get everything about the Silver Millennium and we can't argue about the talking cats since we heard them ourselves." said Molly after she and Melvin were introduced to everyone and given the full story. "But this whole daughter from the future thing is kinda hard to swallow."  
  
"Maybe I have something that will convince you." said Serena as she took out the album Rini brought her and opened it. "Just as I thought the photo isn't blurred anymore, Rini brought this back with her and you may find this interesting."  
  
Molly and Melvin took a look at the album. "This is us, older and it looks like we've just gotten married."  
  
"And that's not all." Serena turned the page.  
  
Melvin was wide eyed "Molly, in this picture you're pregnant!"  
  
"I'm really am going to a mom."  
  
"And I always thought that I be inadequate in that department."  
  
They turned the next page and saw the baby pictures. "That's Kaede?" asked Molly looking at the picture. "She's beautiful, easily the cutest baby there is."  
  
"I wouldn't say cutest..." said Serena.  
  
The guys knew that soon the girls would start auguring over who was the cutest baby and but they didn't feel worried about it, in fact they looked forward to the day when they would have that argument when holding those babies.  
  
###  
  
"You should not have been so secretive about this threat." said Merlor. "Then maybe I would have chosen someone else for the nightmare!"  
  
"A thousand apologies." said Scorpio. "I have made our search for the keys more difficult."  
  
"On the contrary." said Astra as the vault glowed in a rainbow of colors. "You have saved me a bit of trouble that I would have had upon my release."  
  
###  
  
Richforce: What's Astra talking about? Keep reading to find out. Send reviews please!" 


	7. Break Up or Breakdown?

Richforce: Here is the next chapter. I only own the characters I created myself.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter Seven: Break up or Breakdown?  
  
"Ouch!" said Serena as she stood on a stool in her living room wearing a beautiful dress. "Mom, be careful!"  
  
"I just want to make sure that it's perfect." Irene said holding a sewing needle. "You don't get another senior prom."  
  
"Unless you happen to be Darien." said Richard. "This would his second."  
  
"No, his first Dad." said Serena. "He never went to his."  
  
"It seems like yesterday I was holding your little hand as I took you to meet your new baby brother and now you're going to your senior prom."  
  
"It won't be for another month."  
  
"Still you're not a baby anymore."  
  
"Neither is Sammy." said Irene. "It seems like yesterday to me that he was taking his first steps and now he and Mika are kissing."  
  
"They're defiantly becoming a man and a woman." Then Richard and Irene gave each other a kiss. "It may not be long before we meet our grandchildren." Serena just gave a muffled laugh.  
  
{You already have met one.} She thought.  
  
Sammy then came though the door. "My heart was been broken, my world has no meaning." He moaned.  
  
Irene went over to him. "What's wrong honey?"  
  
"I'm slime, I'm worse than slime, I'm worse than what's underneath slime!"  
  
"Calm down son." said Richard. "Just tell us what's wrong."  
  
"Mika, we were walking up to each other when I tripped and..."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"I touched her breasts!"  
  
"You what?!" said Irene.  
  
"She thought I did it on purpose and said that we were through!"  
  
"It was an accident." said Richard. "The whole thing was completely innocent."  
  
"The worst thing about it was that I enjoyed for a second before she yelled at me!"  
  
"Sammy." said Serena. "It's a good thing that you feel guilty about what you've done, but you shouldn't beat yourself up so much about an accident. So you liked touching her, it's natural to have fantasies; I daydream about my wedding night!"  
  
"Serena!" her parents said.  
  
"The point is that we all have these urges, we just have to control them."  
  
"Well I can forget about Mika." said Sammy.  
  
"I'm sure she'd understand."  
  
"Thanks you're the best sister I've ever had."  
  
"I'm the only sister you've ever had." Serena thought about how much they both matured during the last three years. They no longer called each other names or got into petty fights, maybe it was because they realized they only had so much time together until Serena went to college and then who knew when they would see each other again.  
  
~*~  
  
Vega called Merlor, Scorpio, Prim and Axel into his throne room. "Merlor has informed me about the keys to the vault, I do not know what shape the keys take or where they can be but they must be found."  
  
"We have already begun searching for them, it won't be long." said Merlor.  
  
Vega left to his room. "He's on to us." said Axel.  
  
"No, but he has felt Astra through the vault."  
  
"We must accelerate our plan before he finds anything out." said Scorpio. "The nightmare stone is ready do you have a target?"  
  
"Yes." He conjured an image of Mika and turned to Prim and Axel. "Luckily for you this star system has run out of planets to lend their powers to someone!"  
  
"We can handle them!" said Prim.  
  
"Yeah they must still be total yutzes!" said Axel.  
  
"I wonder who the yutzes really are." Merlor said as they left.  
  
~*~  
  
"So you think you both have it under control?" Serena asked as she Molly walked to class.  
  
"Absolutely." said Molly. "We've both been practicing every chance we got, and we have our powers under total control."  
  
"I still have a hard time getting used it; my best friend is now a sailor scout too, I never figured you as the type."  
  
"Neither did I, but now I'm part of something that's bigger than myself. It feels good, like I'm part of a family."  
  
"It does doesn't it?"  
  
"Speaking of which I'm still a little amazed that we were able to hypnotize my mom in to thinking that Kaede was my cousin with that little cat ball."  
  
"There is more to Luna-P than meets the eye."  
  
They turned a corner and saw Sammy taking a book out of his locker. "Hey Sammy." said Molly. "You seem to be in a better mood than yesterday."  
  
"Oh that." said Sammy. "I decided to take Serena's advice and I'm going to explain to Mika that it was an accident. No matter what happens I'm not going to let it get to me anymore."  
  
"Good for you." said Serena.  
  
Sammy closed his locker and was shocked at what he saw next. "Mika and Eddie?!"  
  
Strange but true enough Mika was laughing with the school bully. "You are so funny!" she said.  
  
"What is this?!"  
  
"Oh it's you." said Mika turning her back on Sammy. "I told you I never want to see you again."  
  
"Mika it was an accident and I'm sorry."  
  
"Ok, I forgive you."  
  
"Aren't you forgetting about me?" said Eddie.  
  
"Oh right. Sammy I'm going out with Eddie tonight."  
  
"What?!" said Sammy.  
  
"I did some thinking and I realized that you just weren't exciting enough for me. I'm sorry but we can still be..." time seemed to slow down for Sammy. "Friends."  
  
"Noooooo!"  
  
~*~  
  
"I feel so humiliated." said Serena. "Why did he have to have a nervous breakdown right in the middle of the hall?"  
  
"Well she said the phrase." said Greg.  
  
"The phrase?"  
  
"You've never dumped a guy before have you?" said Jamie. "To a guy being dumped the phrase 'we can still be friends' sounds more like 'you're the world's biggest loser'."  
  
"Sammy must be crushed." said Amy.  
  
"The thing I can't understand is why Mika is going out with Eddie?" said Ken. "He's an obnoxious bully."  
  
"Well I can understand." said Molly. "She wants a little excitement, a little danger. Maybe that's why I fell for Nephrite."  
  
Melvin grunted at Nephrite's name, even though he wasn't dating Molly at the time he was still a little jealous of him. "Eddie will break her heart you'll see."  
  
"I just hope Sammy doesn't do anything foolish." said Serena.  
  
~*~  
  
Back at home Serena was doing her homework downstairs. "...So x equals fifty-seven, and I am done!" Serena laid back. "Let's see first we have the school carnival then the prom then finals week and after that graduation. I can't believe that it's almost over."  
  
Sammy came downstairs. "I'm going out."  
  
Serena turned around. "I thought that you would lock the door and stay in your room all night."  
  
"I'm going to spy on Mika and Eddie."  
  
"Spy?!"  
  
"We both know what a jerk he can be, I just don't want Mika to get hurt."  
  
"But spying on her?"  
  
"I know but..."  
  
"Well then I guess that I have to go with you to keep you out of trouble."  
  
"Thanks Serena."  
  
~*~  
  
Mika and Eddie were at a coffee house, Mika looked a little nervous. "I've never actually had coffee before."  
  
"Then why I don't I order for us?" said Eddie.  
  
After Eddie ordered the drinks Mika kept telling herself. {He's an ok guy he's just hurting inside, right? Then why doesn't it seem right?}  
  
Eddies picked up the two drinks and they sat down at a booth not knowing Serena and Sammy were sitting in the next one. "So I hear you're good at making dolls."  
  
"Yes, I've been doing it for three years now."  
  
"So do you know what you're going to do when you graduate?"  
  
"Sammy and I still haven't decided."  
  
"Do you have to talk about that dweeb?"  
  
Sammy wanted to turn around and hit Eddie but Serena held him back. "Sammy's a great guy; it's just that he was taking our relationship for granted. All of our dates became too predictable, it was like a chore."  
  
Sammy thought about what she said. {I've been taking her for granted, well no more! She's so important to me that I'll do anything for her!}  
  
"What about me?" asked Eddie.  
  
"I realized that you act the way you do because you're hurting inside."  
  
"Give me five minutes and he'll be hurting outside too!" Sammy whispered.  
  
"Eddie." Mika said after taking a sip of her drink. "I want to help you, I want go through those problems."  
  
Eddie looked at his watch and then at the park outside the window. "Want to go for a stroll?"  
  
"I guess."  
  
As they got up to leave Serena and Sammy followed close by.  
  
~*~  
  
Eddie stopped at a secluded meadow surrounded by trees. "Nice night."  
  
"Uh yeah." said Mika. {Why do I feel so uncomfortable?}  
  
"Ya know we are alone."  
  
{That's what you think.} Thought Serena.  
  
"I guess we are alone." said Mika.  
  
"If we're really going to start a serious relationship than we better cement It." said Eddie.  
  
"I d-don't understand."  
  
"Nervous? Yeah it's my first time too, but I came prepared." He then pulled out a thin packet that appeared to have something inside. "I brought protection so we don't have anything to worry about."  
  
Steam was coming from Sammy's ears and a vein was showing on his forehead. {If he thinks he can mess around with MY Mika...}  
  
Mika then slapped Eddie's cheek. "You pervert!"  
  
Eddie was dumbfounded. "I don't understand."  
  
"You think you can just score on the first night?! I was taught that intimacy like that should only be shared by a man and a woman who love each other so much that they are willing to be married and share their entire lives forever!"  
  
"And so was I!" Sammy said as he stepped into the meadow.  
  
"Sammy?!"  
  
"Mika, I'm sorry about taking our relationship for granted."  
  
"I'm sorry too. I realize now that I've been doing the same thing."  
  
"I promise to make our time together special."  
  
"I promise too." They then gave each other a hug.  
  
"Wait a minute, you're dumping me for him!?" Eddie yelled.  
  
"At least for him, it was an accident! Not like you Mr. try to get to home plate on the first date!"  
  
"Well then." Eddie said cracking his knuckles. "Let's see if you still like him after he runs away like he usually does!"  
  
"Not this time Eddie." Sammy said. "I won't fight not because I'm a coward, but because it's what you want!"  
  
"Want to take your pounding like a man?"  
  
"He does and I'll take mine like a woman!" said Mika.  
  
"I wasn't going to hurt you Mika, but since you insist..."  
  
"Leave them alone Eddie!" Serena said as she steeped into the meadow.  
  
"Ah, do the babies need Sammy's big sister to fight for 'em?"  
  
"Mika thought you act like a bully because you 'hurt inside', but the real reason is because you're a coward who fights those who are weaker than you so you can feel like a big shot!"  
  
"I'm not afraid of you!"  
  
"Hey do I know you?" said Prim from one of the Treetops.  
  
"Wait a minute..." said Axel he then pointed at Sammy. "I remember you now; you were the kid we turned into our very first nightmare way back when!"  
  
"Nightmare?" Eddie pondered. He then remembered Rage then pointed at Sammy. "Argh! You're the monster that almost killed me!"  
  
"Monster?" he then remembered getting hit by the nightmare stone and becoming the power source of something like a youma or a droid. "I remember you two now, you aren't taking me back!"  
  
"Actually we didn't come you." said Axel. "Hit it sis!"  
  
"NIGHTMARE GO!"  
  
The stone hit Mika who became a purple moth-like nightmare with eye like patterns on her wings and fuzzy antennae. "I am Pixie Moth!" it said.  
  
"Mommy!" Eddie yelled as he ran from the park.  
  
Serena also ran but to stop half way through the grove. "Guys, The pointless siblings turned Mika into a Nightmare, head to the park on the double!"  
  
"We're on our way!"  
  
"MOON INFINITY POWER!"  
  
~*~  
  
Sammy tried to talk to "Mika I know that you're in there, you can fight her!"  
  
"She can't hear you!" Pixie Moth said. "All she can do now is act as my power source!"  
  
"How dare you separate two people in love?!" Sailor Moon said. {Maybe now is the time to try out my new speech.} "I am a defender of justice, love and peace! I am Sailor Moon, I will protect the weak..." she pointed to Pixie Moth. "And vanquish the evil!"  
  
"I like the new speech." said Axel. "But I would prefer a theme song that would play every time you come and ruin our plans."  
  
"Yeah like something in a techno dance remix." said Prim.  
  
The Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter arrived. "You think you can beat us with an overgrown bug!" said Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"I'm more than just a bug!" said Pixie Moth as she flew into the air. "I'm down right toxic!" she then flapped her wings spreading poison dust in her path.  
  
Sammy began coughing. "Mika...ugh!" He fainted from the poison.  
  
"Sammy!" Sailor Moon yelled.  
  
"Don't worry about him." said Sailor Mercury. "From my scans the poison will vanish after she's beaten."  
  
"I have more where that came from!" Pixie Moth said as she flapped her wings again.  
  
"MERCURY ARCTIC SLASHER!"  
  
The ice blades hurt Pixie Moth while soaking her wings. "Look what you did! Now I can't fly or spread my lovely poison!"  
  
"That's not all it she did!" said Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Your wet wings are now a good conductor of electricity, making them the perfect bug zapper!"  
  
"JUPITER LIGHTNINGORB BLITZ!"  
  
She hit Pixie Moth's wings causing them to burst into flame. "My wings, my beautiful wings!"  
  
"Here comes pest control!" said Sailor Moon.  
  
"MOON MAGNUM STARBEAM!"  
  
"I was drawn to defeat like a moth to a flame!" Pixie moth said before she was separated from Mika and was destroyed.  
  
"And now it's your turn!" Sailor Moon said to Prim and Axel.  
  
"Sorry we'll have to take a rain check." said Prim before she and Axel teleported away. Sailor Moon then turned to Sailor Mercury and Sailor Venus.  
  
"You better take Mika back home, I'll take my brother."  
  
~*~  
  
"Once again you both come back empty handed!" Merlor bellowed.  
  
"Well what did you expect us to do with that bogus butterfly." said Axel.  
  
"Are you insinuating that this is my fault?!"  
  
"Well kinda." said Prim.  
  
Merlor then zapped them with dark energy. "The only thing I'm missing is popcorn." said Scorpio.  
  
~*~  
  
The next day at school Serena and the others were keeping an eye on Sammy and Mika. "They seem to be fine now." said Amy. "They were defiantly glad to see each other."  
  
"But how do we know that they'll stay together?" asked Raye.  
  
"They will, I can tell." said Mina.  
  
"Because you're the world's best matchmaker?" said Lita.  
  
"No." said Serena. "Because she was with me when I told Rini about this."  
  
"What does that have to do with anything?" asked Molly.  
  
"Because Rini then said that she was glad that her baby cousins would still be there when she got home. She loves to cuddle them."  
  
As the scouts were thinking about what Serena told them Sammy and Mika unknowingly snuck up behind Eddie. He turned around and screamed. "Get away from me!"  
  
Sammy just shrugged. "We aren't monsters anymore, what's his problem?"  
  
Mika shrugged as well. "Don't know, but I don't care right now." She gave Sammy a peck on the cheek. "We got each other and that's all that matters."  
  
~*~  
  
Richforce: The lovebirds are back together, but the Blackstar is far from finished. Stay tuned and review. 


	8. A Big Goodbye and a Big Hello

Richforce: For this chapter I'll be referring to some Ashanti legends. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, the chibi scouts belong to Angel Raye.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter eight: A Big Goodbye and a Big Hello  
  
Raye was woken up by the morning rays of the sun. It was going to be relatively uneventful day at the Cherry Hill shrine. She got dressed and went outside. She found Chad raking the rock garden; Annika was feeding Raye's pet ravens, Phobos and Deimos; and Stardust was still curled up asleep by the donation box. "Good morning, has anyone seen grandpa?"  
  
"I think he's still in bed." Chad said before getting back to work.  
  
Raye went over to his room. "Come on Grandpa, rise and shine!" she shook him but he didn't respond. "Grandpa you can't stay in bed all day." He still didn't move and then she realized his skin felt cold. "Grandpa? GRANDPA!!"  
  
Pretty soon ambulance sirens could be heard around the shrine.  
  
~*~  
  
In the Blackstar fortress Merlor was addressing Scorpio. "So can you do it?" he asked.  
  
"Easily, two nightmare stones at once should be no problem." Scorpio said.  
  
"What are you up to Uncle Merlor?" asked Prim as she and Axel came in.  
  
"An opportunity is presenting itself to use two powerful nightmares; these two will be your victims." He conjured an image of a man with black hair and blue eyes and a woman with red hair and violet eyes. "They will be vulnerable in a few days.  
  
"So we got some goof off time!" said Axel.  
  
"Not quite." said Scorpio. "The Ingots need polishing so get your buckets and rags."  
  
"We never get to have any fun." said Prim.  
  
~*~  
  
At the Hospital the other scouts, knights and mini-scouts came when they heard what happened. The doctor came out to the waiting room. "Well?" asked Raye.  
  
"I'm sorry." said the Doctor. "His heart condition had grown worse than we could handle." Tears started to form in Raye's eyes. "If it's any consolation he died peacefully."  
  
Raye just broke down right where she stood. "I'll be right here for you." said Chad.  
  
"We all are here for you." said Serena.  
  
"I never got the chance to say goodbye." cried Raye. "I wish I could have told him my secret before he died."  
  
"I know I couldn't possibly understand what you're going through, but I do know that if you ever needed friends it's now."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Are there any next of kin I should inform?" asked the doctor.  
  
"My parents, they're in Ghana right now. Their names are Ikki and Meilin Hino."  
  
"I have an associate in Ghana, I'll see if he can reach them." The doctor then went back to his work.  
  
"My Grandma and Grandpa are coming here?" asked Annika.  
  
"I'm not sure." said Raye. "I haven't seen them since I was ten."  
  
"We better get going." said Chad. "We got...a funereal to plan."  
  
~*~  
  
That night Raye couldn't sleep. All she could think about was all that was left unsaid to her grandfather. "'I love you' I haven't said it often enough to you. I haven't told you how lucky I was to have a grandpa like you. I haven't told you about me being a princess from another age lost to memory and a sailor soldier. Now I never will. The song is true; you don't know what you have till it's gone."  
  
Annika came into the room. "You can't sleep either?"  
  
"Not at all."  
  
"I wondered why he was called my great grandpa, now I know that's it's because he was great."  
  
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can tell you a story tonight."  
  
"Then how about I tell you one?"  
  
"I guess."  
  
Annika sat down. "Grandma and Grandpa, your mom and dad, told me that this story, like all stories, belongs to the spider Anansi. When the world was still young all of the world's stories were kept in a box kept by the sky king. Anansi wanted the stories so he could know the beginning and end of all things..." Raye listened as Annika told about Anansi's deal with the sky king to bring him four rare or dangerous creatures in exchange for the stories. She heard how Anansi tricked the stinging hornets, the unseen fairy, Onini the bullying python and Osebo the greedy leopard into his web and traded them for all the stories and shared them with the world.  
  
~*~  
  
The days leading up to the funeral were slow to Raye. She spent a lot of time away from home because there was always something in the shrine that reminded her of her grandfather. She also wasn't sure about her parents coming for the funeral. On one hand they left her at the shrine to keep her safe while they went to Rwanda to help those in trouble, on the other hand they didn't have to go. {I can hardly remember what they look like.} She often thought to herself. {I know they won't recognize me, I wonder if there is any room in our lives for each other.}  
  
The day before the funeral her parents arrived. "Are you sure you had to go see them first?" asked Raye.  
  
"We had to use Luna-P on them before they saw Annika." said Serena. "We still have to keep our identities a secret."  
  
"The Blackstar already knows who we are, what difference does it make?"  
  
"People just aren't ready to accept this solar system's secret history. It could cause a panic if they found out that there are aliens in their midst."  
  
"You think our parents wouldn't keep that secret or love us any different if they knew?"  
  
"I don't, but we have to be careful."  
  
Raye's parents came to the shrine. Her father Ikki had black hair and blue eyes, her mother Meilin had red hair and violet eyes. "Mom, Dad?"  
  
"Raye!" her parents said when they saw her. They rushed up and hugged her.  
  
"We're so sorry we left you!" cried Meilin.  
  
"We missed you growing up and that's unforgivable!" Ikki cried.  
  
"Its ok." cried Raye. "You wanted help people and keep me safe, I'm proud to have parents like you!"  
  
Annika peered from behind a pillar and then rushed out to Ikki and Meilin. "Mama, Papa!"  
  
"Annika!"  
  
"My baby's grown so much." said Meilin.  
  
"We're sorry we left you here so young." said Ikki.  
  
"It's ok, you're here now." said Annika.  
  
"We better go over preparations for the ceremony tomorrow." said Raye. "But first I'd like to introduce you Chad Bandon." Chad walked up to Raye's parents with an extended hand.  
  
~*~  
  
The day of the funeral arrived. A small memorial was sent up in the shrine with a photo and a jar containing Mr. Hino's cremated remains. Friends of the family and regular visitors to the shrine all came to pay their last respects. Mina bent down to talk to Gloria. "Now I don't want any of your practical jokes today, especially around Annika."  
  
"But she always likes my jokes!" said Gloria.  
  
"But she's also sensitive, so no pranks. If you want to make her feel better talk to her about the good times we had with Mr. Hino."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Also, it was a nice thing that you did with Rini, Ariel and Daisy."  
  
"The kittens just felt that their sister needed them. We were glad to let them stay at the shrine while Stardust was feeling down."  
  
"Still it was sweet."  
  
The room then quieted down as Raye got ready to speak. "I know everyone would expect my father to give this speech, but he felt that since I was the one who knew my grandfather best the past ten years I should give it. If Yoshiro Hino could be summed up in one word it would be kind. He gave of himself without thinking about it; he was willing to take in a bossy ten year old girl with a temper and teach her patience. Everyone in this room can remember at least one time when Yoshiro helped them, even if you weren't a regular visitor to the shrine. He will be as greatly missed as much as he was loved."  
  
After that everyone passed by the memorial and offered their last regards to Yoshiro Hino. Serena went over to Raye. "You ok?"  
  
"I guess, though I know a lot of people will probably be disappointed in me for dropping out of school."  
  
"Dropping out?!"  
  
"Someone has to run the shrine now that grandpa's gone and since Mom and Dad will probably go back to Africa soon, I think it's what grandpa would have wanted."  
  
"He would want you to finish school! We're so close to graduation, it's like giving up the race when you're in the lead in front of the finish line!"  
  
"I'm not sure if this shrine would last that long."  
  
"Let me ask you this then, I know that you haven't made up your mind before but if you didn't have to run the shrine what would you want to be?"  
  
"I decided a few months ago, I would have been a singer and toured the world with Chad. But that doesn't matter now."  
  
"It's still your dream why don't you go for it?"  
  
"I don't want this shrine to die, it's my home."  
  
"Tell you what; if we all chip in and help you at the shrine will you at least stay in school till graduation?"  
  
"Sure. Serena."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"It's great to have a friend like you."  
  
~*~  
  
Ikki and Meilin were watching the sun set as they were talking. "It feels strange to back home after so long." said Ikki. "I still expect to see the shadow of a giraffe or an elephant with that sunset."  
  
"I got used to Africa myself." said Meilin. "What gets me is who much the girls have grown. When we left Raye was playing with dolls and Annika was still in diapers, now Annika's the one playing with dolls and Raye's found a boyfriend."  
  
"Eight years tends to do that."  
  
"It doesn't seem that long to me."  
  
"I know, it seems to me that it wasn't too long ago that Pop and I were looking at another sunset at this very spot. He was teaching me how to be a good priest; I can't believe he's gone."  
  
"You also want to stay?"  
  
"Yes we've done all we could over there, it's about time we did what we could here."  
  
"Your right, it's time we came home. We're the parents of those girls, it's time we started acting like it."  
  
They started to kiss when Prim and Axel came by. "Aw, look at the lovebirds." said Prim.  
  
The couple broke their kiss. "Excuse me are you here for the funeral?" asked Ikki.  
  
"No." said Axel. "We're here for the two of you. Ready sis?"  
  
"Whenever you are!"  
  
"NIGHTMARE GO!"  
  
Raye came by just in time to see her mother turn into a python nightmare with two snakes for arms and her father turn into a half-man, half-leopard. "Mom! Dad!"  
  
The python turned to Raye. "I am Onini!"  
  
"And I am Osebo!" said the leopard.  
  
"No, I just got you back!"  
  
"Well they're ours now!" said Axel.  
  
Raye got ready to transform when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "You're not alone." said Chad.  
  
"We're all your family." said Serena. "We'll always be there for each other."  
  
"Yes." said Raye. "We can beat these creeps and save my parents."  
  
"MOON INFINITY POWER!"  
  
"MOON REGAL POWER!"  
  
"MOON FAIRY POWER!"  
  
"MERCURY ASTRAL POWER!"  
  
"MERCURY NOBEL POWER!"  
  
"MERCURY LULLABY POWER!"  
  
"MARS ASTRAL POWER!"  
  
"MARS NOBEL POWER!"  
  
"MARS LULLABY POWER!"  
  
"JUPITER ASTRAL POWER!"  
  
"JUPITER NOBEL POWER!"  
  
"JUPITER LULLABY POWER!"  
  
"VENUS ASTRAL POWER!"  
  
"VENUS NOBEL POWER!"  
  
"VENUS LULLABY POWER!"  
  
"PLUTO ASTRAL POWER!"  
  
"PLUTO NOBEL POWER!"  
  
"PLUTO LULLABY POWER!"  
  
"URANUS ASTRAL POWER!"  
  
"URANUS NOBEL POWER!"  
  
"URANUS LULLABY POWER!"  
  
"NEPTUNE ASTRAL POWER!"  
  
"NEPTUNE NOBEL POWER!"  
  
"NEPTUNE LULLABY POWER!"  
  
"SATURN ASTRAL POWER!"  
  
"SATURN NOBEL POWER!"  
  
"SATURN LULLABY POWER!"  
  
"EARTH ASTRAL POWER!"  
  
"EARTH NOBEL POWER!"  
  
"EARTH LULLABY POWER!"  
  
"The love of parents for their children should never be used to cause others pain!" said Sailor Moon. "I am a defender of justice, love and peace! I am Sailor Moon; I will protect the weak and vanquish the evil!"  
  
"It's just the second time and it's already getting old." said Axel.  
  
"Well in case you haven't noticed you're severely out numbered!" said Sailor Mercury.  
  
"That can be remedied." said Prim. They let loose a bunch of ingots. "You guys know the drill!"  
  
The ingots charged separating Sailor Mars and Mars Knight from the rest of the group. Onini and Osebo quickly attacked them. "Don't think that I have a crush on you!" said Onini as she curled herself around Mars Knight.  
  
"Mars Knight!" Sailor Mars said before Osebo pounced on her.  
  
"Be more concerned about yourself girl." He then tossed her aside.  
  
Onini then tossed away Mars Knight. "We have keys to find let us depart." She said to Osebo.  
  
"We have to find way to beat those two." said Mars Knight.  
  
"Wait a minute, Osebo, Onini; I know how to beat them! Get a spirit ward ready!" she and Mars Knight got the spirit wards out. "Throw them at those trees over there."  
  
"Ok, I don't know how that will help though."  
  
They threw the wards at two trees that were across from each other. "You missed us!" said Onini.  
  
Sailor Mars and Mars Knight then leapt past the trees. "Why don't you try hitting us then!" said Sailor Mars.  
  
"If you want to die girl." said Osebo.  
  
They rushed them but were then stopped by a red energy web created by the wards. "What trickery is this?!" shouted Osebo.  
  
"I can't move!" said Onini.  
  
"Don't you know?" said Sailor Mars. "The leopard and the python always lose to the spider."  
  
"MARS WARFIRE INCINERATE!"  
  
"MARS PYRO AX!"  
  
The attack rendered to two unconscious just as the Ingots were destroyed. "Time to de-claw this cat!" said Sailor Moon.  
  
"And de-fang that snake!" said Moon Knight.  
  
"MOON MAGNUM STARBEAM!"  
  
"LUNAR SABER CUT!"  
  
Osebo and Onini were destroyed after they were separated from Raye's parents and reverting to nightmare stones.  
  
"And who says two heads are better than one?" said Axel before he and Prim vanished.  
  
"We better get my mom and dad inside." said Sailor Mars.  
  
~*~  
  
That night after everyone left Raye's parents called her, Chad and Annika to the dinning room. "Mom, Dad, I want to talk to you about what's going to happen to the shrine." Raye said.  
  
"That's why we called you here." said Ikki. "We know it may be an inconvenience to you but..."  
  
{I knew I had to take over...} Raye thought.  
  
"We were wondering if we could move back in and take care of the shrine." said Meilin.  
  
Raye was shocked. "You're staying?!"  
  
"If you want us to." said Ikki.  
  
"Right now nothing could make me happier!" she said before giving her mother and father a hug.  
  
"Yeah!" said Annika. {I'm not surprised; I knew they were going to stay.}  
  
"I'd be honored to learn from the both you." said Chad.  
  
Raye wiped a tear from her eye as she looked out the window to the sky. {Grandpa, I know you're still watching over me and you know that I am Sailor Mars. I also know that you're smiling at us being together after so long.}  
  
~*~  
  
Richforce: Don't you just love happy endings? Too bad it's over yet! Keep reading. Ciao! 


	9. Helios' Return

Richforce: Before we get started I just want to get a few things straight. I will use a mixture of Manga and Anime elements for parts of this story that refer to the stars story arc. First off, Chibi Chibi (here called Ren) held Galaxia's good star seed and they became one, the Starlights are girls even when not transformed, the Amazoness Quartet was put to sleep until Rini became a "True Lady" at which point they would become the Asteroid Scouts (Sailors Ceres, Vesta, Pallas and Juno) and finally Sailor Cosmos has not appeared...yet. Also I'll use some elements from the game "Sailor Moon: Another Story". Warning: this chapter will seem to have come from the Twilight Zone. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, the chibi scouts belong to Angel Raye.

###

Chapter nine: Helios' Return  
  
Serena looked around at the transformed school that was covered in colorful banners and surrounded by booths. "I love school carnivals!" she squealed.  
  
"Even after what happened with Ren and Sailor Lead Crow that one time?" Mina asked.  
  
"That was a couple of years ago and besides this is our last one, we should have as much fun here as we can."  
  
"So what are we waiting for?" asked Lita. "We only have one day to do every thing we can here!"  
  
"I agree." said Greg. "We deserve some time off."  
  
"Don't forget us!" said Rini as she came up with the other Mini Scouts. "We want to have some fun here too!"  
  
"Sure." said Serena. "The outer scouts and knights are here too, school carnival is open to everyone."  
  
"Just behave yourselves." said Luna. "And that includes you too kittens."  
  
"We will Mama." said Moonbeam.  
  
"For the most part." Sunspot said under her breath.  
  
As they started to go into the carnival they heard barking at which Luna and Artemis climbed up Serena and Mina on instinct. Kaede smiled when she saw that it was a small white dog with hairy floppy ears and hairy curved tail. "Kishal!" she then picked the dog up and it started licking her face. "Oh Kishal, you're the sweetest puppy, yes you are! I missed you so much!"  
  
"You know that dog?" asked Artemis.  
  
"He must have followed me here from Crystal Tokyo. A very good friend gave him to me."  
  
"He won't attack us then?" Luna asked.  
  
"He doesn't do that anymore." said Crescent. "We get along ok."  
  
"Alright, but we'd rather not stay around him."  
  
"Come on let's go!" said Rini.

###  
  
For half of the day they visited booths, ate cotton candy, and played carnival games. After a little while Serena, Molly, Rini, Kaede, Luna, Diana and Kishal met up in front of a fortune teller's tent. "This is the best carnival ever!" said Serena.  
  
"You bet!" said Molly. "But I wonder where the others are?"  
  
"Probably visiting the other booths." said Rini. "I want to get my fortune told."  
  
"Sounds like fun." said Serena. "Let's go in."  
  
They entered the tent and saw that the fortune teller was hooded man who kept shuffling a deck of tarot cards. "I can already tell that you have an interesting destiny." He said. "Would you like me to reveal some of it to you?"  
  
"Yes please." said Rini.  
  
Kishal started to growl. "Kishal!" said Kaede. "We don't growl at someone who's just doing their job!"  
  
"Yeah cut it out!" Diana said it softy so the fortune teller couldn't hear her.  
  
"How much?" asked Molly.  
  
"For someone with such an interesting destiny I'll do it for free."  
  
"Then let's get started." said Serena.  
  
The fortune teller shuffled his tarot cards and started to lay them on the table. "The first card is the Fool; that tells me you are clumsy at this point in time. The second card is the Lovers; you will soon be married to your one true love. Next is the Empress; you will rise to power in this world sometime in the future."  
  
{It's like he has already visited the Crystal Millennium.} Serena thought.  
  
"Uh oh."  
  
"What?" asked Serena.  
  
"This forth card is the Tower."  
  
"What does that mean?"  
  
"I feel it's telling me that the foundations of this destiny might be lost. Something may prevent it."  
  
Serena thought he may know what they must do in order to save Rini's future. "What will prevent it?"  
  
"This next card will tell." He placed a card that had the image of the grim reaper. "Death, a fitting card, since I'm going to silence you all forever!" He lifted his face up and reveled himself to Scorpio.  
  
"You!" said Molly.  
  
"MASK OF ILLUSION!"  
  
After a flash of light came from Scorpio's mask everyone except Kishal fell unconscious. Kishal then ran out of the tent. Prim and Axel then came in. "That's all of them." said Prim.  
  
"Put them with the others." said Scorpio. "I'll see that my guests are properly entertained."  
  
"Whatever you say S-man!" said Axel.

###  
  
Helios was also at the school carnival. {I hope I can find Rini before I have to go back to Elysia.} He came back when he found out that Rini had returned to the present. He also used his powers to keep people from seeing his horn. Suddenly he felt a tug at his pants leg. "What the...?" he looked down and saw Kishal biting his pants leg and tugging it. "That's mine, not yours." He then felt something strange from Kishal. "Wait a minute; you've been around Rini haven't you?" Kishal barked. "She's in some kind of trouble?" Kishal then dashed off. "I wouldn't be surprised if we found her down a well!"

###  
  
Serena was starting to wake up. "Ohhhhh, where am I?" she looked around and saw that she was with Luna, Artemis, and the other scouts and knights and they were waking up as well. "Are you guys ok?"  
  
"I think so." said Darien.  
  
"I'm okay." said Amy. She took out her computer and tried to scan the area. "That's weird; my computer doesn't seem to be working."  
  
They took a look around. They were in a field that seemed to have come straight out of a children's storybook. "This place looks so sugary it makes my teeth hurt." said Amara.  
  
"Be on your guard." said Trista. "This place may more dangerous than it appears."  
  
They walked through the field. "This place reminds me of an imaginary land I thought of when I was a little kid." said Mina.  
  
"An imaginary land?" asked Raye.  
  
"A special place little kids could go far away from adults."  
  
"And could do whatever they want." said Chad.  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"I thought up of the same imaginary land when I was a little kid."  
  
"I think we all did at one time or another." said Michelle.  
  
"I know that I did." said Walter.  
  
"It wasn't that long ago for us." said Anthony.  
  
"I guess deep down everyone wants to be a kid again." said Hotaru.  
  
"Except maybe Luna." said Gary. "She probably was just the same as she is now."  
  
"I'll have you know that Artemis and I were quite the rapscallions when were little." said Luna.  
  
"The two of you? I can't believe it." said Jamie. "You're so serious and Artemis is so laid back."  
  
"I'll show you." she then touched Artemis with her paw. "Tag, you're it!"  
  
"Oh, I'm gonna get you!" said Artemis after Luna ran away and he then chased after her.  
  
"Strange." said Melvin. "It makes me want to join them."  
  
"Me too." said Molly. "I have this urge to play."  
  
"I know what you mean." said Darien. "I feel like I'm a little kid!"  
  
"Well I doubt any of you can catch me!" said Serena and began a chase with the others.

###  
  
Sailor Mini-Moon woke up in a drastically different location. {This is weird.} Sailor Mini-Moon thought to herself. {First Scorpio hits me with a weird light the next thing I know I've transformed and I'm wandering around a creepy old graveyard.} She saw this strange dust covered grave. She brushed the dust off and read the inscription.  
  
Here lies Kaede, princess of Earth.  
  
"No, she can't be dead!" she dusted off other graves and read the inscriptions.  
  
Here lies Annika, princess of Mars.  
  
Here lies Ariel, princess of Mercury.  
  
Here lies Daisy, princess of Jupiter.  
  
Here lies Gloria, princess of Venus.  
  
Here lies Madelyn, princess of Saturn.  
  
Here lies Margaret "Maggie", Princess of Pluto.  
  
Here lies Faith, princess of Uranus.  
  
Here lies Hope, princess of Neptune.  
  
"No! My friends..."  
  
"All gone." said a familiar voice from behind her.  
  
Sailor Mini-Moon turned around to see Eclipse sitting in a gnarled old tree. "You can't be here, I'm not you!"  
  
"Oh please, I've been a part of you since the day you were born."  
  
"You did this didn't you?! You killed my friends!"  
  
"No, you did that."  
  
"No!"  
  
"They counted on you as a leader, and you failed them."  
  
"I failed them...?"  
  
"Become me again. You have no future to return to, your home is destroyed, your friends are all dead, and you have nothing left to lose."  
  
"No, I don't want to!"  
  
"Then I can leave you with guilt you have, guilt you can lose if become me."  
  
Sailor Mini-Moon started crying.

###

Sailor Mini-Mercury woke to find that she was clinging to the side of a steep mountain. "How did I get here?!" she asked herself.  
  
"You've been climbing this mountain all your life." said a voice from above her.  
  
"Chill?!"  
  
"This mountain is everyone's expectations of you. You can see how big it is; after all if both of your parents are geniuses then you must be one too. But we both know that isn't the case, you just study and apply yourself more than most. One slip here could be disastrous, the moment you fail your life is all for nothing."  
  
"No, it can't be."

###  
  
Sailor Mini-Mars was a dark hallway when saw some one familiar up ahead. "Gloria!"  
  
Gloria just turned around and said "Later." before turning into smoke that was blown away by the wind.  
  
"No!" she turned around and found Stardust. She ran to her until the same thing that happened to Gloria happened to Stardust. "Not again!"  
  
"Annika?" said a voice from behind her. She turned around to find an older Raye wearing a red version of the dress worn by Neo-Queen Serenity complete with silk wings coming from the back of the dress; all of the princesses of the solar system wore similar attire in the Crystal Palace when they were performing royal duties.  
  
"Mama!" she ran to her but Raye vanished in the same way as the others. "NOOOOO!"  
  
"Face it you'll never see any of them ever again." A new voice said.  
  
"Blaze, how can you be here?!"  
  
"I'm always where you are and now I'm your only friend."  
  
"I can't be alone with you!"  
  
"What's the matter, gonna cry?"  
  
"No." Sailor Mini-Mars sniffled.  
  
"You are pathetic, but if you become me no one will ever call you a crybaby again."  
  
Sailor Mini-Mars shed a few tears.

###  
  
Sailor Mini-Jupiter found herself at what looked like the site of an earthquake. "Help me!" she heard.  
  
"I'll be right there!" she ran to the source of the voice and found a pile of rubble. "I'm going to get you out!" She tried to move as much of the debris as she could but the pieces were too heavy for her to lift.  
  
"I can't hold on anymore..."  
  
"No!" Daisy punched the ground.  
  
"If only you were stronger." said a voice from behind.  
  
"Bolt?!"  
  
"You pride yourself in being strong, but when it counts you're weak."  
  
"No I'm not!"  
  
"You are just a weak little girl, but if you became me again you can be really strong."  
  
"I don't want your kind of strength!"  
  
"But do you need it? You know you're not strong enough to protect you friends."  
  
Sailor Mini-Jupiter was feeling torn.

###  
  
Sailor Mini-Venus found herself in a park. {What is this place?} She thought to herself. {It seems familiar...} she then found a plaque at the edge of the lake.  
  
In memory of Princess Annika who fell through the ice on this lake.  
  
"No, sure she fell through the ice but she didn't die."  
  
"But she almost did."  
  
Sailor Mini-Venus turned around. "Dazzle?!"  
  
"She wouldn't have gotten out on the ice if you hadn't thrown her hat on it, all because you thought it was would have been funny if she slipped and fell on her butt."  
  
"I didn't mean to hurt her."  
  
"You and I are more alike than you realize. Your pranks for example, you do as you please without ever thinking that someone could get hurt. Becoming me again just seems to be the next reasonable step."  
  
Sailor Mini-Venus felt really bad.

###  
  
Sailor Mini-Saturn was in a strange room that was filled with dolls on one side with a throne in the middle of them. {I know I've never been in here, but this room seems familiar.}  
  
"Mady?" she heard from behind her.  
  
Only two people ever called her that she turned around and saw an older Hotaru in a purple winged dress sitting on the throne. "Mama!" she ran up and hugged her. "I missed you so much! Does this mean we can go home?"  
  
"But we are home." The future Hotaru said but something wasn't right about her voice. Sailor Mini-Saturn opened her eyes and saw that she was now hugging a pale skinned woman with a long black dress.  
  
"Mistress Nine?!"  
  
"What's wrong honey?" Mistress Nine said. "Don't you want to hug?"  
  
"Mama told me about you! About what you made her do!"  
  
"She is your mother." said a woman with short black hair, purple eyes and wore a purple wicked lady outfit.  
  
"Who are you?!"  
  
"The wicked lady Shade and as you can see darkness is very strong in your family."  
  
"Not this kind of darkness!"  
  
"It was so easy for your mother to become her, don't think it won't be just as, if not easier for you to become me?"  
  
"No..."

###  
  
Sailor Mini-Pluto could only see mile after mile of barren wasteland. "Where am I?" she asked herself.  
  
"Home." said a woman with long dark green hair, purple eyes and a dark green wicked lady outfit. "I am the wicked lady Gale."  
  
"Home? This can't be home!"  
  
"It is now and all because of you."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Your mother was supposed to be the Guardian of Time; she still might have been if she hadn't met you."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So she wanted you to be born, she denounced her duty, married and had you. But with no guardian evil people used the gates to alter history and this is the result, Earth is now a dead lifeless world. We are standing where the Crystal Palace could have been, and it's all because of you."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"But you can change things, become me and you can exist without her giving up her post."  
  
Sailor Mini-Pluto was felt as if her heart was pierced.

###  
  
Sailor Mini-Neptune found herself in a room that was filled with a just about everything she ever wanted. "This is a cool place! Even though I'm not sure how I got here."  
  
"I'm glad you like It." said a woman who had blue eyes, blue hair down to her shoulders and a sea blue wicked lady outfit.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"The wicked lady Splash. I knew that spoiled brat like you would like this."  
  
"Spoiled brat?!"  
  
"Yes, we both know that's what you are! Your parents are so willing to give you everything you want."  
  
"Not everything."  
  
"You still expect them to though. All you want is your own way, so it makes perfect sense for you to become me."  
  
"I'm not a spoiled brat...am I?"

###  
  
Sailor Mini-Uranus found herself back on the street but everyone and everything was frozen in place and in a dull grey color. "What happened to everyone?"  
  
"It's what happened to you." said a woman who had blue hair done up in a ponytail, blue eyes and a yellow wicked lady outfit. "I am the wicked lady Gaia."  
  
"I get it now. The attack, me becoming a scout, going back in time, you; it's all been a dream."  
  
"You always lived life in the fast lane like your parents, leaving others in the dust. Well now you can't slow down, you're moving so fast that it seems everyone else is frozen in place."  
  
A phone started ringing. "That's probably my alarm clock. See you the next time I have too many of Dad's hot peppers before bed." She found the payphone that was ringing and pulled on the receiver that seemed to be stuck until it collapsed into dust. "How..."  
  
"This isn't just some dream you can wake up from! You're stuck in high-gear, you will live your entire life alone in the time it takes a kid to tie his shoelaces! That is unless you become me."  
  
"Alone?"

###  
  
Sailor Mini-Earth woke up in what appeared to be her room in her family's chambers in the Crystal Palace. "I'm home?" she left her room and found her parents were sitting down for breakfast. "Mama, Papa!"  
  
They didn't seem to hear her. "Honey I may be a little late coming home; I've been assigned to attend a science conference that will probably run for a while." Melvin said.  
  
"But Jenny is coming over for dinner tonight." said Molly.  
  
"Ok, I'll try to get home as soon as I can. You can tell your sister I'll be here before the roast is in the oven."  
  
Kaede was annoyed. "Mama, I'm right here!" she ran to hug her but passed right through as if she where a ghost. "How?!"  
  
"They can't see, hear or touch you." said a woman with brown hair, green eyes and a brown wicked lady outfit. "I am the wicked lady Wild."  
  
"Am I dead?"  
  
"No, they just forgot that you existed."  
  
"No, they could never forget me!"  
  
"Well how do you expect them to take you seriously if you never took anything seriously yourself?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Life was just one big game to you, even after the Negamoon attacked you just continued to play around and never consider the consequences. It was only after your parents were killed that you started to treat things seriously. Well it's too little too late, things are back to normal and they didn't miss you at all."  
  
"But..."  
  
"The only choice you seem to have now is to become me, maybe then you won't treat everything as a joke!"  
  
Kaede started crying, then screaming and she did she could have sworn she heard the others screaming as well accompanied by a golden glow.

###  
  
"What is this?!" said Eclipse. The graveyard seemed to be cracking like glass as Rini screamed. Eclipse started to crack as well. "No, Chill, Blaze, Bolt, Dazzle, Shade, Gale, Splash, Gaia, Wild; what's happening to us?!"  
  
The graveyard shattered to a white void where the other mini-scouts and Wicked Ladies were. All of the Wicked Ladies were cracking. The golden glow got brighter.  
  
"NOOOOOO!" the Wicked Ladies screamed before they also shattered.

###  
  
Scorpio smiled underneath his mask. "Looks like we have a new player."

###  
  
The mini-scouts stopped screaming and had a heartfelt reunion. "I'm glad you're all Ok." said Rini after it they changed back. "Now all we gotta do is find the others and get out of here."  
  
"We may want to figure out where here is first." said Faith.  
  
"And what that light was." said Hope.  
  
"That was my doing." A new voice said.  
  
Rini turned and had a smile on her face. "Helios!" she ran up and gave him a hug. "How did you get here?"  
  
"A little white dog led me to you."  
  
"That must have been Kishal!" said Kaede.  
  
"Well I'm glad he found you Helios." Rini said.  
  
"Hey." Gloria said. "You know him?"  
  
"Yeah the last time I was here." Rini began to blush. {I never told them about Helios and they don't like boys as anything more than friends. If they find out that I LIKE like him...}  
  
"Then tell us!" asked Daisy.  
  
"I'd like to know who your friends here are." said Helios.  
  
"Well they came back here with me and Helios is the guardian of the Golden Crystal. He disguised himself as Pegasus and hid in my dreams."  
  
"And that's it?" asked Maggie.  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Sounds like she's hiding something." said Annika.  
  
"Wait a minute..." said Ariel.  
  
"Are you in love him?" asked Hope.  
  
"Rini are you embarrassed about us?" Helios asked.  
  
"No I'm not embarrassed! Opps!"  
  
"You are in love him!" said Madelyn.  
  
"That is so gross!" said Faith.  
  
"It's not gross!" said Rini.  
  
The other mini-scouts continued to taunt her. "Do you want to get cooties? I'd never like a guy like that! And isn't he a little old for you?"  
  
Rini finally blew a gasket. "Why don't you all just grow up?!"

###  
  
Scorpio smiled to himself again. "Thanks for the idea Small Lady."  
  
A bright light came on all of them once again rendering them unconscious. Helios woke up and saw that they had all transformed again. "Rini are you Ok?" on closer inspection. He saw that Rini had grown up to an eighteen year old.  
  
"Helios?" Rini said she then looked at her hands. "I've gotten older!"  
  
Helios then looked at the others. "And looks like you're not alone." The other mini-scouts were waking up but you couldn't call them "mini" anymore.  
  
"What happened to us?! We're all adults! When she said grow up she wasn't kidding!"  
  
"Are you all ok?" Helios asked. He got his answer when they surrounded him and started staring at him with hearts in their eyes.  
  
"We're fine!" said Gloria. "But why would you be interested in Rini? You would like a girl with a sense of humor like me!"  
  
"No!" said Annika. "You'd like someone sweet and sensitive like me!"  
  
"You're wrong!" said Daisy. "You need a good cook like me!"  
  
"Come on!" said Ariel. "You would like someone with intelligence like me!"  
  
"You'd have rather like someone delicate like me!" said Madelyn.  
  
"You'd love someone gutsy, like me!" said Faith.  
  
"Wouldn't you rather have someone Artistic like me?!" said Hope.  
  
"No, someone mature like me." said Maggie.  
  
"I know you would like a girl who's perky like me!" said Kaede.  
  
Rini was getting really mad. "LAY OFF HIM HE'S MINE!" she yelled monstrously.  
  
Helios was sweating the whole time. {One moment they taunted Rini for liking me, the next they were trying to steal me away from her. What have I gotten myself into?}

###  
  
Richforce: Stick around, it only gets more interesting. Review please.


	10. The Angel of Black Wings

Richforce: There is something I forgot to mention in my last chapter. Molly's sister Jenny is an actual character in the magna named Osaka Naruru; I got the English name from Tuxedo Will and Doug Helms' "Adventures of the Chibi Scouts II". Also for those of you who are wondering scout uniforms are the same as in eternal form except for the opened locket showing a crystal in the planet's color. Helios fans may get mad at me this chapter. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and the chibi scouts belong to Angel Raye.  
  
###  
  
Chapter ten: The Angel of Black Wings  
  
Helios finally got the formerly mini scouts to stop fighting over him. "Now that that is over, we should try to find a way out." said Rini keeping a tight grip on Helios.  
  
A door with a mask appeared out of thin air standing in the middle of the void. "That seems to be as good a way as any." said Annika.  
  
"Looks like a trap to me." said Daisy.  
  
"And it seems to go to nowhere." said Ariel.  
  
"Might as well try it." said Gloria. She opened the door and it appeared to lead to a zoo. "Come on!"  
  
They all went through the door.  
  
###  
  
Scorpio watched on as a shadowed winged figure came behind him. "You require my services?"  
  
"Yes, I felt that someone like you would be an asset. I need you to take care of someone you know who's in my little fun house."  
  
"As you wish." And he left just as quickly as he came.  
  
###  
  
All of the cages in the zoo seemed to empty and the zoo deserted. "This is the first time I've ever seen a zoo with no animals." said Kaede.  
  
"This is nothing like the sea park Mom and Dad would take me to when I wanted to see the dolphins." said Hope.  
  
"All these empty cages give me creeps." said Faith.  
  
"Wait I hear something." said Maggie.  
  
"Sounds like a low growling." said Madelyn.  
  
Then five odd colored lions surrounded them and licked their muzzles. "We may have to kill them." said Faith.  
  
"Wait." said Rini. "Look at them more closely."  
  
There were two male Lions, one blue and one orange, and three female lions, one was grey another pink and another was white with large black spots. Each of them had a yellow crescent moon on their foreheads.  
  
"Diana, Crescent, Stardust, Moonbeam, Sunspot?"  
  
The lions got ready to pounce. "Remember!" Helios said while using the Golden crystal that was in the place of his horn.  
  
The Lions stopped and started to speak. "Rini?" Diana said. "You got older."  
  
"But you all also shrank." said Stardust.  
  
"We didn't shrink." said Annika. "You became adult lions."  
  
"Lions?" Crescent asked. They looked at themselves and saw that they changed.  
  
"Wow, I'm huge!" said Moonbeam.  
  
"I'm glad you're happy," said Ariel. "But from what I can tell our minds have changed to match our bodies."  
  
"We gotta find our folks and leave." said Gloria.  
  
"We better do it soon because your meat is starting to smell really yummy right now." said Sunspot.  
  
Another door appeared in the middle of the zoo. "I hope that this leads us to somewhere we won't be in danger." said Kaede.  
  
"Probably not with our luck." said Daisy.  
  
###  
  
Vega entered Merlor's lab. "Scorpio, where are you?"  
  
Merlor came forward. "I asked him to search out a lead in the location of the keys"  
  
"I heard he hired a mercenary recently." He then looked Merlor. "You aren't hiding something are you?"  
  
"I've learned my lesson."  
  
"I'm keeping an eye on you." Vega said as he left.  
  
"Scorpio should have consulted me about this mercenary." Merlor said.  
  
###  
  
The next area looked like a storybook garden. "I think I hear little kids laughing." said Helios.  
  
They came over a hill and saw bunch of five year-old boys and girls wearing tunics running around. "Are those the scouts and knights?" Rini asked.  
  
"I think so." said Helios. "And those two have to be Luna and Artemis." He pointed at a black kitten and white kitten.  
  
Rini went over to the children. "Hey there."  
  
"Go away!" Serena said.  
  
"Yeah, we don't like grownups!" said Darien.  
  
The kids then stuck their tongues out at them.  
  
"Those little brats!" said Gloria.  
  
"They won't even listen to us." said Annika.  
  
"Maybe we should try something." said Diana. She motioned to the other Lions and they roared frightening the kids. "Now that we have your attention maybe you will listen to us for a little while."  
  
Helios' horn glowed again. The kids blinked a few times and then looked around. "Where are we? What were we doing?" Serena asked. She then saw what happened to everyone. "And what's going on?!"  
  
"I can explain everything to you all." Helios said. All eyes were turned on him. "It may seem like your bodies and minds have changed, but in reality you are all the same age and species you were when whoever it was made you unconscious."  
  
"Come again?" Mina asked. "What did Scorpio do to us?"  
  
"He trapped your minds in his dream world; I came here by entering his dreams."  
  
"I thought you could only enter beautiful dreams." Rini said.  
  
"Have you ever heard of a lucid dreamer?"  
  
"Yes." said Raye. "They have the ability to freely interact within their dreams and remember them after waking up."  
  
"Scorpio takes it a step further. He is able to freely control what he dreams can change it according to his will, even while he is awake."  
  
"So we are sleeping in the real world but dreaming in Scorpio's head?" asked Lita.  
  
"Right, but I can get you out of here."  
  
"I'm sorry but I can't let you." said a man who appeared out in midair. He had red eyes, black hair, arm mounted sword and shield and black wings coming from his back but what got everyone's attention was a horn that was a lot like Helios' when he didn't have the Golden Crystal. "It's been a long time Helios."  
  
"Not long enough Baron!"  
  
"You know this creep?!" said Rini.  
  
"He was a candidate for becoming the Golden Crystal's guardian, but in the end I was chosen over him."  
  
"It's not like I would have accepted it. Why did the humans of earth have rule over us Elysians, when we were the ones who took our planet to join our neighbors in the solar system?"  
  
"So you joined forces with these villains because of your hatred of humans?!"  
  
"I'm just working a job for Scorpio that's all."  
  
"He's just a mercenary." said Amy.  
  
"I prefer the term 'Warrior Merchant'."  
  
"Everyone stays back!" said Helios. "I have to face him myself."  
  
"PHANTOM RAPIER!"  
  
Baron thrust his sword at Helios barely missing him.  
  
"You used to react more quickly, your time as a guardian has weakened your skills."  
  
"I was chosen because of my heart, not my power."  
  
"You can't defeat me; I learned a few new tricks since we last met." Baron's body was surrounded by a black light and it changed into body armor with a facemask that had a sinister smile and a single crying eye painted on it. "Like my new look?"  
  
"Looks aren't everything Baron!"  
  
"This is about more than just looks!"  
  
His sword glowed purple and he moved so quickly he left a pair of afterimages behind him.  
  
"SUPER PHANTOM RAPIER!"  
  
This time he plunged his sword through Helios up to the knuckle. Helios screamed in pain.  
  
Rini had tears in her eyes. "HELIOS!"  
  
"Sorry nothing personal." said Baron. "Well maybe a little." Helios fell from the blade of Baron's sword. "The job is done and therefore I must go." Baron's wings covered his body and he vanished in an explosion of black feathers.  
  
Rini ran up to Helios. "You'll be ok, you just have to be."  
  
"I'm afraid I won't." said Helios in a rasping voice. "My king you have to take the Golden Crystal now. I have but one request; that I would be reborn only when Rini is born in the future, I want to grow up with her."  
  
"I will." said Darien.  
  
"Thank you, don't worry Rini. I should be there when you get home ready to play whatever game we normally would..." Helios changed into a group of gold sparkles that flew into the sky leaving the Golden Crystal behind.  
  
Rini concentrated hard and remembered how things had changed with her knowing Helios as a little boy. "Then I when I get back I'll be the princess and you can rescue me from the dragon."  
  
As Darien went to pick up the Golden Crystal it glowed, floated in midair, went to Serena and merged with the Silver Crystal. The new crystal was pur white and was surrounded by locket with heart in a five pointed star, each point with two colors. The stone in Darien's ring changed from black to white and the other locket crystals and ring stones started to glow. "What is this?" Serena asked as the crystals and stones stopped glowing.  
  
"None of you will ever find out!" said Scorpio as a transparent image appeared in the sky. "Now that the Elysian is gone none of you can escape my dream world!"  
  
"We'll defeat you!" shouted Rini as each family gathered together.  
  
"Not here. Here I am everywhere and everything! I control your fate!" At that moment a hole opened underneath each group and they fell through. After they all fell through Scorpio started laughing evilly.  
  
###  
  
Richforce: Don't worry about Helios; he'll be reborn in the future. But what was that with the crystals and can they escape without Helios? Stay tuned for future chapters. 


	11. Scorpio's Game

Richforce: sorry for any delays but I've been getting a lot of ideas lately and wanted to write them down before I forgot them. All characters belong to their respective owners.  
  
###  
  
Chapter eleven: Scorpio's game  
  
Rini, Darien and Serena fell down what seemed to be an endless tunnel; they finally landed on appeared to be the lunar surface. "Are you both ok?" Rini asked.  
  
"I think so." said the still child like Serena.  
  
"But how can we breath here?" said Darien as they started walking. "There isn't supposed to be any air left on the moon."  
  
"We're in a dream world, remember?" said Rini. "We can breathe here because Scorpio lets us."  
  
"Well we better find a way out of here." said Serena.  
  
"That may be hard now that Helios..." Darien said before he stopped. "Rini I'm sorry."  
  
Rini stopped. "Serena, Darien; tell me the truth, I'm not a good leader am I?"  
  
"What gave you that idea?" said Serena.  
  
"Mama and Papa made me the leader of the rest of the Mini-Scouts when I left, but so far it seems all I ever lead them to is from one bad situation to another. We got out of them because of you."  
  
"You're being too hard on yourself. I wasn't a much of a leader at all when we started becoming a team, it took a lot of trail and error to get it right."  
  
"So you saying that I'm still learning how to be leader and I'm bound to make mistakes."  
  
"Yes, what happened to Helios was in no way your fault." said Darien.  
  
"You must be becoming more like Mommy and Daddy. They always knew what to say."  
  
###  
  
Ariel, Greg and Amy ended up at what seemed to be a polar ice cap. "We should be freezing." said Greg. "But I don't feel cold at all."  
  
"Must be this dream world." said Amy.  
  
"You're really smart Amy." said Ariel. "Makes it harder for me to live up to both of your reputations."  
  
"What do mean? You're the smartest kid your age I know."  
  
"It may seem that way but I just study more than usual, I'm not a genius like the two of you."  
  
"Well if you think that Genius is something natural then that rules me out. I just studied more than usual myself." said Greg.  
  
"Me too." said Amy. "Greg studied more to try to ignore his psychic powers and I did it to get more attention from my parents since they were working all the time."  
  
"But as smart as two of you are..."  
  
"You should just be worried about what you expect from yourself, you may fail now and then but it won't be the end of the world."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
###  
  
Annika, Chad and Raye were in a volcanic wasteland. "If Scorpio thinks he can scare us with this he's got another thing coming!" said Raye.  
  
"We'll make him sorry he messed with us!" said Chad.  
  
"I wish I could be as confident as you two." said Annika. "I'm never that confident if Mommy or Daddy isn't around. I don't think I could ever be confident without them."  
  
"I disagree." said Raye. "I think you have a lot of confidence that just hasn't been tapped yet."  
  
"If you start believing in yourself there's nothing you can't do." said Chad.  
  
"Maybe your right." said Annika. "I'll try not to depend on them so much."  
  
###  
  
Daisy, Ken and Lita found themselves in field during a lighting storm. "If Scorpio is brought us here to make us feel at home it isn't working." said Ken.  
  
"When I get my hands on him." said Lita. "Bam, Pow!"  
  
"I hope I can be as strong as the two of you someday." said Daisy. "I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to help my friends."  
  
"You're not giving yourself enough credit." said Lita. "You're very strong and not just physically."  
  
"You have inner strength." said Ken. "And that's the kind of strength your friends need most of the time."  
  
"Thanks." said Daisy. "You just showed me that I was strong this whole time and didn't even know it."  
  
###  
  
Gloria, Jamie and Mina were at a bright field of wildflowers. "Seems a little too cheerful than what we'd expect from Scorpio." said Jamie.  
  
"We better enjoy it while it's still pleasant." said Mina.  
  
"Mina, Jamie." Gloria said. "Do my pranks go too far?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"About a year ago, for me a least, I played a joke on Annika and she almost drowned because of it. Does it seem that I only really care about myself?"  
  
"Well people in general are selfish by nature." said Jamie. "But you really do care about your friends."  
  
"You're not just saying that are you?"  
  
"He isn't." said Mina. "From the way you talked about what happened it seemed that you were most worried about Annika's well being, you were more concerned that she would be ok than what would happen to you."  
  
"Thanks you two." said Gloria. "Mom and Dad always did say that I never try to hurt anyone."  
  
###  
  
In contrast to the last location Madelyn, Anthony and Hotaru were at a castle during a starlit night. "The sky's beautiful." said Anthony.  
  
"But this castle is creepy." said Hotaru. "Feels like something evil is waiting for us here."  
  
Madelyn stopped for moment. "I have a question for you, if we use the power of darkness how can anything good come from it?"  
  
"I can understand how you fell." said Hotaru. "I was a little hesitant about my powers as well for a time, but it isn't the same kind of darkness."  
  
"You shouldn't be afraid of the darkness." said Anthony. "It may be scary at times, but it can also make the light more beautiful."  
  
Madelyn looked at the shining stars in the dark. "You're right, it can."  
  
###  
  
Maggie, Gary and Trista were in a windy mountain range. "Good thing he put us on top of the mountain." said Gary.  
  
"Yeah, otherwise we probably would've been killed by the winds and the climb." said Trista.  
  
Maggie turned to Trista. "Trista I want to tell you something; you shouldn't give up being the Guardian of Time because of me. You can help more people if you forgot about me and became the guardian."  
  
Trista turned back at Maggie. "I'm glad that you are so concerned about others, but I'm still hopeful that we can find a way to keep the gate safe and allow you to be born."  
  
"We have to keep up the hope that it will all turn out ok in the end." said Gary.  
  
Maggie smiled. "So will I now."  
  
###  
  
Hope, Walter and Michelle were walking on the ocean floor. "I always wanted to see the ocean like this." said Michelle.  
  
"But it's probably only a matter of time until Scorpio sends something to eat us." said Walter.  
  
Hope then asked. "You two don't think I'm spoiled do you?"  
  
"What gave you that idea?" said Michelle.  
  
"Back home Mom and Dad usually give me toys or music I ask for and let me do a lot of the things I want to do. Sometimes I think that I only want my own way all the time."  
  
"I don't that's true." said Walter. "I've seen you do some things you didn't like with Faith. I don't think a spoiled child would do something like that."  
  
"You genuinely care about others." said Michelle. "You may get more than other children, but you give even more back."  
  
"Thanks for believing in Me." said Hope.  
  
###  
  
Faith, Miguel and Amara were at stony desert region. "This reminds me a lot of home." said Miguel.  
  
"Somehow I doubt that Scorpio would give us an all expenses paid trip to Mexico." said Amara.  
  
Faith made sure that she stayed close to the other two. "Guys I have a confession to make." Faith said. "I'm afraid to be alone, all my life someone was always there to help me out. I don't think can really do anything on my own."  
  
"Of course you can." said Miguel. "Just because you count on your friends to help you out doesn't mean you can't be good fighter or anything else on your own."  
  
"Your friends and family will always be with you in your heart." said Amara. "So you'll never be alone."  
  
"You're right." said Faith. "I'm never alone."  
  
###  
  
Kaede, Melvin and Molly found themselves in a tropical rainforest. "This place is a lot like the dream I had before I became Earth Knight." said Melvin.  
  
"Well our lives have gotten a lot more interesting since then." said Molly.  
  
"You're both can be serious, I wish I was more like that." said Kaede. "I wish I wouldn't be as impulsive."  
  
"What are you talking about?" said Melvin. "You wouldn't be as fun if you were serious all the time."  
  
"If you were serious all of the time you wouldn't be caring." said Molly. "I think your parents would rather have child that acts a little silly than one that acts like a robot."  
  
"Thanks." said Kaede. "Mama and Papa always cheered me up."  
  
###  
  
The cats found themselves in a maze of mirrors. "I don't know how we are going to get out of here." said the kitten Luna. "But I think the first step would be finding our way out of this maze."  
  
Artemis looked up and saw the lion Moonbeam look at him. "I guess you like looking down on us for a change."  
  
"Well as much as we do we want to get back to normal soon." said Diana.  
  
Just then Scorpio appeared on one of the mirrors. "Is everyone having fun?"  
  
###  
  
"What do want Scorpio?!" said Serena.  
  
"What I wanted when I brought you here; to destroy you by destroying your minds!"  
  
"We want out of here and if we have go through you to do it..."  
  
"I purpose we play a little game. Here are the rules; rule one, some off you will not be allowed to play."  
  
Rini began to rise up in the air as bright light surrounded her.  
  
"Rini!"  
  
###  
  
Rini woke up in an empty classroom along with the other girls and the cats. "Serena! Darien!"  
  
"We gotta do something!" said Daisy.  
  
"Unfortunately getting in again won't be so easy." said Luna.  
  
###  
  
"What did you do to Rini!?" Serena yelled.  
  
"She is awake now you however those who are left behind will have to fight your way out against a Nightmare."  
  
"We beat Nightmares before." said Darien.  
  
"But these aren't just any Nightmares." Then exact copies of Darien and Serena appeared with a couple of Nightmare stones floating into position to thrust themselves into the copies hearts. "They're your own!"  
  
###  
  
Rini tried to shake Serena up. "You gotta wake up now! If you don't you may never wake up again!"  
  
###  
  
Richforce: Get ready to rumble next chapter. Please review! 


	12. Thier Worst Nightmares

Richforce: Sorry for the long delay, I have a lot of projects going. All characters belong to their respective owners.  
  
###  
  
Chapter twelve: Their Worst Nightmares  
  
The clone of Serena turned into a rabbit-like Nightmare and Darien's became a joker Nightmare. "Well our nightmares don't seem that threatening." said Serena.  
  
"Kinda embarrassing for us really." said Darien.  
  
"What?!" said the Rabbit. "Not that threatening?!"  
  
"You're gonna regret clowning around with us!" said the Joker.  
  
"Trust me." said Scorpio. "These nightmares are just as dangerous as the ones your comrades are fighting."  
  
"You mean..."  
  
"That's right your friends are fighting their own nightmares as well!"  
  
###  
  
Greg's nightmare was the shadow he became when a rainbow crystal was removed from him and Amy's was a penguin nightmare. "Remember me?" said the Shadow.  
  
"Unfortunately." said Greg.  
  
"Why is my nightmare a penguin?" asked Amy.  
  
"You know why Amy. Quack!" said the Penguin. "Your parents are so busy most of the time and penguin parents take turns looking after the chicks, I represent what you could never have! Quack!"  
  
###  
  
Raye's nightmare was a phoenix while Chad's was a wolf. "You think I'm afraid of you?!" said Chad.  
  
"I'm your nightmare, so why don't you tell me?" said the Wolf.  
  
"Ready to burn girl?" said the Phoenix.  
  
"You're the one that's going to burn!" said Raye.  
  
###  
  
Lita's nightmare was tigress while Ken's was a pumped up ape-like blackbelt. "I can handle an overgrown alley cat!" said Lita.  
  
"Well if you ask me it's the lady that will lose to the tiger!" said the tigress.  
  
"And I'm going to smack you so hard you won't know what hit you!" said the Blackbelt.  
  
"Just try!" said Ken.  
  
###  
  
Mina's nightmare was a girl whose body was made of guns and Jamie's nightmare was an athlete with a spiked volleyball. "Ready to get served?!" said the Athlete.  
  
"Only if you are!" said Jamie.  
  
"I know why you're my nightmare." said Mina to the Gunner. "My Mum was killed by a gun, but I won't let that fear get to me!"  
  
"Then I'm just going to have to blow you away." said the Gunner.  
  
###  
  
Trista's nightmare was a cockroach while Gary's was made of videos and tape. "Why did it have to be a roach!?" shrieked Trista.  
  
"You're so afraid of them it's no wonder I'm your nightmare." said the Roach. (From what I read online Sailor Pluto is terrified of cockroaches.)  
  
"Don't worry I'll get her." said Gary.  
  
"You have do keep me from tapping over you first!" said the Video man.  
  
###  
  
Michelle's nightmare was a shark woman and Walter's was a pirate. "You don't seem that tough." said Walter.  
  
"Trust me mate, I'll cut out your gizzard!" said the Pirate.  
  
"I can beat you." said Michelle.  
  
"I my natural element, I think not." said the Shark.  
  
###  
  
Amara's nightmare was a golem and Miguel's was a luchador (A masked Mexican wrestler).  
  
"So you want to fight me?" said Amara.  
  
"That's what I was made for." said the Golem.  
  
"And we'll pin you in no time!" said the Luchador.  
  
"I can do this." said Miguel.  
  
###  
  
Hotaru's nightmare was none other than mistress nine and Anthony's was a vampire. "I knew I had to face my fear, you, sooner or later." said Hotaru.  
  
"You can't beat me, I was you once." said Mistress Nine.  
  
"I knew that movie would come back to bite Me." said Anthony.  
  
"Funny you should mention bite..." said the Vampire.  
  
###  
  
Molly's nightmare was woman made of jewelry while Melvin's was a robot. "You really think that you can beat someone as pretty as me?" said the Gem woman.  
  
"Looks aren't everything!" said Molly.  
  
"Yeah, we can do it!" said Melvin.  
  
"Begin termination..." said the Robot.  
  
###  
  
What is this all about?!" said Serena.  
  
"Simple, you will fight your nightmare counterparts, survivor wins. If you win you will immediately be released from here. So don't think you can help anyone out after that."  
  
"So it's everyone for themselves?!" said Darien.  
  
"Yes; I will allow you all to transform but you will remain in those child bodies."  
  
"Alright then."  
  
"MOON INFINITY POWER!"  
  
"MOON REGAL POWER!"  
  
Sailor Moon noticed that Moon Knight's visor was replaced by a more masculine form of her tiara. She wondered if it had anything thing to do with Scorpio's dream world or if it had something to do with the crystals merging.  
  
"We will beat these nightmares and get out of your sick head!" said Sailor Moon.  
  
"I doubt that." said the rabbit.  
  
"MOON MAGNUM STARBEAM!"  
  
"LUNAR SABER CUT!"  
  
The attacks seemed to go right through the nightmares. "Don't you get it?" said the joker. "We're part of you so you can't destroy us. We on the other hand..." The joker threw some cards while the rabbit threw a carrot. "Can destroy you!!"  
  
The attacks nearly hit them. {Guys can you hear me?} Sailor Moon said telepathically.  
  
{Are you getting pounded too?} said Sailor Uranus.  
  
{It doesn't seem like we can beat them.} said Earth Knight.  
  
{We can.} said Sailor Mars. {We just have to find out how.}  
  
{But they seem to know everything about us including how we attack.} said Sailor Venus.  
  
{Maybe that's it.} said Mercury Knight. {They're made for parts of ourselves we rather push away. If we accept those parts of ourselves...}  
  
{It's worth a try.} said Neptune Knight.  
  
{Then let's do it!} said Sailor Moon.  
  
She immediately rushed forward and bear hugged the rabbit. "What are you doing?!" the rabbit said.  
  
"Good or Bad you are a part of me. I can't deny that you don't exist. We all have to except that there are parts of ourselves that we may not like, but we have to deal with them so we can live happy lives."  
  
Scorpio could be heard as each scout and knight embraced their nightmares. "You can't do this! This is my world! I will destroy you!"  
  
###  
  
Serena opened her eyes and found she had a bad headache. She looked around to see that she was in her classroom of all places and everyone was the right age and species. "Is everyone here?"  
  
"Present and accounted for." said Luna. "I don't think we'll find Scorpio around here."  
  
"Well this will be a school carnival to remember." said Mina.  
  
"Guys." said Serena. "The crystal is still changed."  
  
"Helios did save us." said Rini. "He really did sacrifice himself."  
  
"Did any of you guys notice a change in costume?" asked Darien. The knights nodded. "We better try to figure out what this means."  
  
###  
  
"I won't take this lightly." Scorpio said as he watched the setting sun. "Our next battle will be your last!"  
  
###  
  
Richforce: Scorpio won't take this defeat lightly. Everyone send your reviews. 


	13. Behind the Mask

Richforce: Sorry it's been a little while for me to start this final chapter of part two, I've been working on a lot of projects including a original series on called Heart and Soul , be sure to check it out at All characters belong to their original owners.

Chapter Thirteen: Behind the Mask

In the Blackstar fortress Vega was finishing conversation with Merlor. "I'm beginning to wonder if you and Scorpio aren't planning something together."

"My lord, I'm sure Scorpio has a good reason for his recent absence."

"He had better not have me dispatch Draco, the Darkness Warrior of Wrath; even father can scarcely control him."

"I'll see that he returns at once." Prim and Axel came out after Vega left.

"You sure had him fooled by pretending not knowing what Scorpio was up to." said Axel.

"I wasn't fooling, it's been sometime since he contacted me, there's something rotten in the state of Denmark."

"I thought the Sailor geeks lived in Japan." said Prim.

"It's Shakespeare, read a book!"

"So now what?" asked Axel.

"We're out of nightmare stones until Scorpio comes back, we'll wait for his next move and then bring him back!"

Molly had just come back from school and was heading to her room when she tripped over a box that was left on the floor. "Jenny again." She muttered to herself. She went into her little sister's room, which was a total mess as usual and found her looking at another trinket she picked up at the nearby pawn shop. She had orange hair and yellow eyes. "How many times does mom have to tell you to not to leave your junk laying around?"

"It's not junk sis." said Jenny. "They're all Gucci collectables." Jenny's hobby was collecting anything with the Gucci brand name and usually spent quite a bit of allowance on them."

"I thought collector's keep their stuff organized. Look at this place, do baboons live in here?"

"I like a messy room."

"Sometimes I wonder if she's really human." Molly said to herself after she left. "Unfortunately it looks like Kaede shares that messy habit."

She went into her room and looked at her birthday picture. She remembered that her mother was very pregnant with Jenny when she took it. "I barely remember daddy, but you never knew him." Molly heard Kishal barking and went to see what was happening. "What's going on?" she asked Kaede.

"I think Kishal was found something outside..." Kaede said as Kishal was barking out the window.

The next day after at Sparrow Hill elementary the girls were talking at recess. "Kaede says she has a surprise for us." said Hope.

"I wonder why it's just the outer mini-scouts who are getting this surprise." said Faith.

"Well we'll all find out at the shrine." said Maggie.

"We all better get there then." said Madelyn.

What they didn't notice was as they left the school Jenny went another way to a pawn shop. But she was grabbed by a pair of hands and drug into an alley. "I found some suitable bait for my trap..." Scorpio said.

"So what did you bring us here for?" asked Moonbeam. Everyone was gathered at the shrine.

"Well Kishal found some old friends of ours." Kaede said. She stepped aside and to show five kittens with Lunan marks on their foreheads. The outer mini scouts rushed to four of the kittens. "Titan!" Madelyn said while picking up a cream colored boy kitten with purple eyes.

"Miranda!" Faith said picking up a tiger striped girl kitten with navy colored eyes.

"Triton!" Hope said picking up a sea green kitten with red eyes.

"Charon!" Maggie said holding a purple kitten with yellow eyes.

"Did you miss us?" the kittens asked including brown girl kittens with green eyes Kaede was holding.

"Yes Terra, we did." Diana said.

"Are they also part of the same litter as you?" asked Artemis.

"No." said Crescent. "They were born a year after us."

"Good." sighed Luna.

"Yes around the same time as our brothers." said Daisy.

"Brothers?!" said Serena. "The others I could understand but I thought the queen could only have one heir."

"Something else must have changed." said Rini. "Darius is one of the most important people in the world to me, even if we do fight sometimes."

"Now isn't this touching?" asked voice from the shadows. Scorpio stepped out.

"Boy did you make the wrong move." said Amara as they got ready to fight.

"Attack me and Sailor Earth there will never see her little sister again!"

"What have you done to her?!" said Molly.

"Nothing for the moment. Come to the nearby automotive factory tonight. If you don't come the girl dies!"

"If you touch one hair on her head..."

"The clock is ticking..." Scorpio vanished.

"Let's go!"

"Molly wait!" Serena said. "I know how you feel about Scorpio."

"He tricked me into hating my best friend, he stuck me in a dream world where I had to fight off my worst fear as a child and now he's messing with my family!"

"You can't let him push you like this, we'll face him together but you can't let your personal feelings towards him get to you."

"I'm sorry."

"We're a team remember? That means that we stand with each other through thick and thin and everything in between."

That night they went to the automotive factory and found Scorpio waiting for them. "For a moment there I thought you wouldn't show up."

"Is Jenny ok?" asked Sailor Earth.

Scorpio pointed to the control booth. "She is up there peacefully asleep. If you want to get to her, you will have to go through me first! PSYCHO BOMB!"

They dodged the attack and Scorpio then used his mind to start the machines. "Great now we have two things to worry about." said Sailor Jupiter.

They tried to attack as they dodged the machinery.

"PLUTO FURIOUS CYCLONE!"

"URANUS STONE HAMMER!"

"NEPTUNE PIERCING RAIN!"

But when the attacks hit they found that they were really aiming at one of their allies. "He's projecting illusions of himself on us!" said Sailor Mercury.

"That is the danger of relying on someone else. You have to constantly worry about whether they will be hurt or if you can depend on them when the truth is the only one you can depend on is yourself."

"That's not true!" said Sailor Moon. "The reason we're so strong is that we're a team!"

"It's only a matter of time before I defeat you all."

"Not if you keep talking!" said Sailor Earth. Earth Knight, Sailor Mini-Earth and her used his voice to identify the real Scorpio.

"EARTH FURIOUS ROAR!"

"EARTH TWINS FANGS!"

"EARTH SAVAGE SCRATCH!"

Each attack hit Scorpio in the face cracking his mask the first and second time but the third shattered it completely. The Scouts and Knights were shocked. "His..."

"Yes, my face." Scorpio said. His face was disfigured and blackened, noting pretty to look at. "It was this way long before you attacked me just now. I was an orphan for as long as I can remember, I was a handsome child but I passed for adoption time and again because people feared my mental powers. One day the orphanage caught fire and all of my so called friends perished trying to find help while I was trapped. From that day on I had but one purpose, to further my own mental powers. I lost a battle to the Black Vanguard's leader and he saw that I had potential and so he enlisted me."

"You think the bad luck in your life gives you the right to harm innocent people?!" asked Sailor Moon.

"If I learned one thing it's that there are no innocents. Now taste my full wrath! DARK EVOLUTION!"

Scorpio turned into a scorpion monster with a humanoid torso above eight legs. For hands he had scissor like claws and he had a poisonous stinger tail. "If he wasn't ugly before he sure is now." said Sailor Venus.

"TOXIC STING!"

Scorpio thrusted his tail missing Sailor Mercury and melting a machine.

"I'm afraid I'll have to cut this fight short!" Scorpio's claw missed Sailor Moon cutting a beam in half.

"It's time to end this!"

"MOON POWER!"

"MERCURY POWER!"

"MARS POWER!"

"JUPITER POWER!"

"VENUS POWER!"

"PLUTO POWER!"

"URANUS POWER!"

"NEPTUNE POWER!"

"SATURN POWER!"

"EARTH POWER!"

"SAILOR PLANET ATTACK!"

Scorpio took the full brunt of the attack and collapsed. "You may think you have won but our leader will come. He is stronger than the three of us combined! Your days are numbered..." A blue column of light came from Scorpio with four smaller ones spiraling around it; he disappeared as it shot up through a skylight.

"How's Jenny?" said Sailor Earth.

"Fine." said Sailor Mars. "Just asleep."

"I better take her home then."

"I understand." said Sailor Moon. "We better get the other kittens settled in."

As Sailor Earth put Jenny back in bed her sister started to stir. "Are you Sailor Earth?"

"Yes."

"Then you and the other scouts beat that creepy masked guy?"

"Yes, he won't bother you anymore."

"Before you go can you tell my sister something? Tell her I'm sorry if I get on her nerves sometimes."

"She knows."

"Good." Jenny fell asleep.

Molly reverted and went to her room. "Jenny, after I graduate I'll probably won't see you as much, so I'll try to make the best of the time we have."

Back at the Blackstar Fortress, Merlor had to give some bad news. "Scorpio was defeated after he tried to attack on his own."

"This is a bad turn of events." said Vega.

"Yes, without Scorpio we can't create anymore Nightmares!"

"I'm left with no other alternative then to call for Draco. You I don't want to do this but Sailor Moon has forced my hand."

After the meeting Merlor raged in his lab. "Why, why after so long to my plans have to fail because of some people who are just stepping into adulthood?!" He threw a book against a wall and it opened to some pages after it fell to the floor. "What is this?" Merlor said looking at the book, he then started laughing. "Of course! The keys were right in front of me the entire time, but I was too blinded by my own ambition to see where they were! Now that I know what shape the keys take, it will just be a matter of waiting for Draco to get here before the return of Astra!"

Richforce: Now that Merlor has found the keys and with Draco on the way things are starting to look bad for the scouts. Find out how they will fare in the Vega Saga part three: Ragnarok


End file.
